Lend Me A Hand
by Junior BLD
Summary: Junior comes down with geostigma and cannot fulfill his duty as the universe protector. But, how can he hope to fight off the disease without his powers, especially when a certain blonde soldier, the only one who can save him, hadn't wanted to help him in the first place? Rated K for fantasy violence.
1. Materia

**A/N: This story stars my OC Junior. In Smash, his moves are based mostly on the Mii Gunner's moveset. I hope you enjoy reading. Please let me know what you think.**

 **I had to update this chapter because I realized that Corrin's attacks are water, not fire.**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my original characters.**

The four of us stood side by side in the Smash mansion, waiting with anticipation for our time to step onto the battlefield. Smash had turned out to be a pretty epic tournament, and participants were allowed to return to the mansion to engage in further matches. Cloud, Corrin, Dark Pit, and I were waiting for one such battle to end so that we could begin ours.

"I wonder how Anti Junior is doing." I said, thinking about the battle that was currently in progress.

"I think your friend is fighting some warriors from the out realms." Corrin said vaguely. That could only mean Marth, Roy, Ike, Robin, or Lucina, all of whom were quite formidable opponents.

"Hm." Cloud said, not seeming to think anything of this. He was probably trying to remain focused on our upcoming fight.

Dark Pit turned to me. "I wouldn't worry about your friend, because you're the one who has to face me," he said superiorly.

While I'm waiting here, I may as well introduce myself. I'm Junior, and I am eleven years old. I have red, spiky, hair and blue eyes. Let's see… what else? Oh! I live on Earth, and the reason I'm even at the Smash mansion right now is because I, along with Anti-Junior, am a defender of the multiverse. Sure, it was dangerous most of the time, but traveling the cosmos did have its advantages, such as getting to battle the Smashers any time I wanted.

Just then, there was a flash of light from the electric blue portal in front of us, meaning that the previous battle had concluded. Our eyes were fixed on the transporter as we waited eagerly for the results. A moment later, Anti-Junior emerged, a broad grin on his face. Robin, Lucina, and Sonic stumbled through the portal, breathless and clearly defeated.

"What just happened?" Lucina asked, brushing her long, blue, hair out of her face.

"Something that not even I could prepare for." Robin said, putting away one of his magic books. I recognized the looks of utter astonishment on their faces that could only have been made possible by a sudden, unexpected trip through the cosmos.

"Final smash?" I asked Anti Junior, grinning mischievously

"Yep!" he said, still beaming.

"Nice!" I commended, and congratulated my friend with a high five.

At that moment, Master hand flew up to all of us. "That was an excellent battle!" he said to Anti Junior and the others who had just emerged from the portal. Then, he turned to me and those who were waiting. "Are you ready to start yours?" he asked.

"Yeah." Corrin and I said while Cloud and Dark Pit nodded. We had all decided on a three stock match on a random battleground, and were anxiously waiting for the fight to begin.

"All right." Master hand said, getting ready to choose our battle zone for us. "Hm, not the Coliseum. Anti-Junior just battled there… the pirate ship and Palutena's temple are currently in use at the moment… Final Destination is completely booked until next week… and the boxing ring is currently undergoing maintenance…"

"What kind of maintenance?" Sonic asked curiously, interrupting the giant hand's musings.

"Oh, the ring lights keep falling down even when no one is battling. Little Mac had quite an unwelcome surprise when he was training yesterday." Master Hand said, still searching for a place to send us.

After about a minute, the hand finally found the world that would serve as our battle ground. "Looks like it'll be… Midgar!"

Cloud nodded once, staring ahead with anticipation. But, before I could learn what Midgar even was, the blue portal in front of us flashed with light.

"Your battle begins… right now!" Master hand said, gesturing to the portal. Cloud, Corrin, Dark Pit, and I rushed forward, throwing ourselves into the blue light. After a momentary jolt of tingly static, we were transported, one by one, to our destination.

I deactivated my white glow and caught my first glimpse of Midgar, a futuristic looking city that seemed to be deteriorating. A moment later, Cloud landed on a platform in front of me, Dark Pit landed above me surrounded by a powerful aura of evil energy, and Corrin appeared on the platform to my right in a swirl of water. Master hand had already started the countdown.

"Three… Two… One… Go!"

The four of us quickly sprang into action! Corrin launched a sphere of compressed water at Cloud, who jumped out of the way and aimed a strike at Dark Pit. I sidestepped to the right, avoiding the evil angel's oncoming attack from above.

"Nice try!" I said to Dark Pit as I retaliated with an energy blast. Just then, Corrin hit me with a barrage of attacks from his magic sword. Moments later, Cloud joined the fight and we all were trading minor hits back and forth.

Before long, Corrin found himself caught in the middle of Dark Pit's purple electricity and a fire blast that I had released at close range. Both of our attacks hit, but suddenly Corrin transformed into a magnificent dragon, countering our attacks and launching us in opposite directions!

"Ugh! I forgot you could do that!" I cried, flipping through the air to make it back onto the city's main plate.

"Well, now you remember, don't you?" Corrin asked, laughing a little.

"Yeah." I said, rushing forward again, though a little more cautiously.

Cloud was fighting a little ways away with Dark Pit, but he suddenly stopped and jumped up to one of the platforms. I hit Corrrin with a burst of white energy. Then, I glanced up to see what Cloud was doing, and briefly saw his hand close around a shiny red crystal floating in the air.

Unfortunately, a second later, Corrin dealt a sword strike that I barely blocked with my shield, distracting me from the red jewel. Before the dragon swordsman could distance himself from me, I grabbed him and sent him flying across the map. Wings sprouted from Corrin's back and he recovered with a mini water cyclone, landing safely on the main plate.

Then, at that moment, we heard Dark Pit scream as he was sent flying across the stage. Suddenly, he vanished in a beam of light, Cloud having scored the first knock out of the match.

Corrin charged towards Cloud, who was now glowing with an eerie red light. I began conjuring another energy blast and scanned the city for a suitable target.

"Game on!" Dark Pit yelled, having just dropped down from the glowing white recovery platform. He ran towards Cloud to seek revenge for that last knock out.

However, something was happening in the skies above Midgar. A vale of darkness covered the city, and burst of flame swirled and coiled through the air like snakes! "What's going on?" I asked, stopping in my tracks. In all my battles in the Smash tournament, I had never seen this before!

Turning in the direction of the fire, I saw, to my great astonishment, a huge dragon flying through the sky! Did this have something to do with that red crystal? Maybe that enabled Cloud to summon the monster?

Knowing I had to get back in the fight, I ran towards the three smashers. But, I noticed, too late, that Corrin and Dark Pit were running the other way, away from Cloud, who had sidestepped past me to the middle of the area.

I turned to face the soldier and found that he was glowing with a vibrant blue light. Cloud had charged his limit break, and that meant trouble.

Suddenly, the ground shook and a blazing inferno ignited around me! The main plate we were on tilted to the right and Dark Pit and Corrin stumbled slightly in an attempt to get to each other. Was that massive dragon I had seen in the skies behind this?

"What is this?" I cried, trying to shield myself from the flames. Corrin and Dark Pit stayed as far away from the inferno as they could manage, but Cloud ran right into it. The strange thing was that he didn't take any damage from the fire. I wondered if he was being protected by the power of the red crystal he had claimed earlier.

Then, realizing I was within striking distance of Cloud's limit break, I launched myself upward in a thrust of rocket fire, determined to avoid him and the red hot flames.

"Is that the best you can do?" Cloud asked. Unfortunately, it was. My lunar launch wouldn't keep me airborne forever. I fell through the air, now helpless. Cloud seized his chance. He jumped up to my level and released his build up energy in a blast of wind that launched me away from Midgar faster than a rocket!

"Aahh!" I screamed as I was caught by the recovery beam.

When the recovery platform floated me down over the city again, I found that the blazing inferno had been extinguished and the darkness in the skies had lifted.

"Not cool." I said, glaring down at Cloud, who playfully spun his sword in the air.

"I know, right?" Corrin asked as he floated down beside me on another recovery platform, having just taken a powerful hit from Dark Pit.

"Your turn!" the evil angel said, charging towards Cloud. However, Corrin reached him first, and one powerful blast of water later, Cloud was sent flying out of bounds

"I can work with that!" I said, jumping down to the main plate.

"Yeah? How about this?" Dark Pit asked, loading a glowing purple arrow onto his bow. At the same moment, Corrin landed behind me and formed a compressed water sphere. Both attacks were launched at me!

Quick as a flash, I generated a reflective bubble of neon pink energy, rebounding the projectiles back to their creators.

"Ugh! All of you and your reflectors!" Corrin cried, having been stunned by his own attack.

"Oh, not all of us!" I pointed out, jumping out of reach of Dark Pit's electro-shock just as Cloud struck Corrin with a combination of hits with his fusion blade.

Dark Pit narrowed his eyes mischievously. Then, both he and Corrin fired a glowing dark arrow and water ball at Cloud.

"Bet you wish you had a reflector now!" Dark Pit taunted as Cloud was launched through the air. The blonde warrior flipped through the air and caught hold of the ledge of Midgar's main plate. He pulled himself up and glanced around the battle zone.

"Not when I have this!" he said, his gaze focused on something in the air. As Cloud jumped up, I caught a glimpse of another shimmering red crystal floating above the platform!

"Ah!" I cried, rushing forward to try to reach it first, but too late. I had barely made my move when Cloud grabbed the glowing rock, his body enveloped by the eerie red light once more.

Moments later, the sound of rushing water could be heard in the distance, coming closer. Suddenly, a massive wave of water washed over the city, approaching fast! A giant leviathan monster had been summoned, creating the tidal wave!

"Whoa!" Corrin cried, momentarily distracted from his aerial combat with Dark Pit.

"Here we go again…" I said as water rushed past us, surrounding the section of the city we were fighting on. Why hadn't I reacted sooner to the red crystal? I could have had this force on my side!

I quickly seized my chance to attack Dark Pit, who was falling through the air. I slammed into him with all my force, knocking him away from the city.

"Aahh!" Dark Pit screamed in shock, having been sent out of bounds a second time.

The battle continued amid the rushing water, all of us struggling to avoid getting knocked into the current. I grabbed Corrin and zapped him with jolts of electricity. However, the dragon swordsmen broke free and landed a hit that sent me flying!

I tried to regain my bearings in the air so I could make it back to the battle, but before I knew it, I landed in the rushing water with a splash!

A wave of unforgiving cold hit me as I pulled myself above water and struggled against the strong current. I jumped up and barely was able to reach the ledge of the platform. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the gleam of a Smash Ball as it floated around the area. I was about to climb up to try and break it when I saw who was waiting for me.

Cloud was standing just far enough away from the ledge to where I couldn't attack him, but he could hit me if I attempted to climb up. My heart beat faster as I glanced back and forth, considering my options: the rushing water below me, or the unyielding warrior waiting for me.

"I can wait!" I said with a grin. Surely he wouldn't dare come any closer to try and knock me down.

Cloud narrowed his eyes and smirked. "Can you?" he asked, his voice perfectly calm. Of course, that made the next few moments even scarier. My hands were slipping off the ledge, and another dip in the cold rushing water seemed imminent. But a second later, Cloud was hit with a powerful strike from Corrin!

"Yes! Yes I can!" I answered triumphantly, pulling myself up and running towards the middle of Midgar's main platform.

Corrin launched a small burst of water at me, but I used my shield to block it. Then I ran up and dealt a devastating strike to the dragon swordsman, sending him flying out of bounds. By this time, Cloud had made it back onto the platform. Before I knew it, he knocked me into the air and sent me crashing to the ground!

As I was launched through the air, the powerful currents of water the leviathan created subsided, leaving the city wet, yet clear again. "That was close." I thought to myself. I had to make sure Cloud didn't get another one of those crystals, otherwise I would lose this match.

Cloud sidestepped past Dark Pit to the other end of the battlefield. I ran forward and was about to attack again when I heard a loud crack! I caught a glimpse of fire reflected off the gleaming metal of Cloud's fusion blade and my heart skipped a beat.

I glanced over my shoulder! Cloud had been momentarily stunned as well. Dark Pit had broken a Smash Ball and Cloud and I had been too distracted to realize!

"Bye!" Dark Pit cried triumphantly, and released the orb's power! Before either of us could even cry out in surprise, the evil angel launched a powerful purple beam that struck both of us, sending us flying!

"Aahh!" Cloud and I screamed in alarm as the recovery light caught us for the second time. I still hadn't fully dismissed my shock when the recovery platforms floated us down over Midgar again.

"Wha-? What was that?" I asked incredulously, jumping down from the platform. Cloud joined me and the battle between us heated up again.

"I am not letting you get another of those crystal things!" I told Cloud as we traded minor hits back and forth.

"Materia." Cloud informed, performing another sword combo. So that's what those red crystals were called!

"Yeah! That!" I cried, hitting Cloud with a burst of fire.

"Give me your best shot." Cloud retorted as my energy blast collided with his green blade beam.

"Mind if I cut in?" Dark Pit asked, striking Cloud from above.

"Not at all!" Corrin cried, running forward and hitting both Dark Pit and me with a flurry of sword attacks. However, when Corrin jumped up for a second attack, only Dark Pit took the hit. I twisted in the air, avoiding his reach, and landed on the ground under the left platform.

Then, I saw it! A red materia crystal floating above the furthest platform! Cloud was rushing to retrieve it!

"Oh no you don't! That is mine!" I cried, running after him. Cloud jumped up, but just as he was about to reach the platform with the materia, I shot an energy blast, knocking him out of the air!

By the time I jumped up to grab the materia, Cloud had leapt in front of me and brought his sword down over me, landing an attack that sent me crashing to the ground again! But, at that moment, Dark Pit raised his bow for a powerful strike, and instead of jumping for the materia again, Cloud was forced to block the attack with his shield, giving me another chance.

Cloud, now focused on Dark Pit, retaliated with a blade beam that sent him back a little ways. Then, he ran and launched the evil angel off of the main plate with a quick sword strike.

By then, I had closed the distance between us and jumped up to grab the shimmering red crystal. It was mine at last! Cloud saw this and quickly jumped up towards the platform, his arm outstretched. The materia was inches away, and he was going to get it first!

With one last, desperate effort, I shot my hand forward and my fingers closed around something warm and hard, Cloud having just missed the crystal by milliseconds.

"I got it! Woo-hoo!" I cried with excitement, holding my prize high in my left hand! But, then I realized the position I was in. "Uh-oh!" I exclaimed, and jumped down from the platform, narrowly avoiding a powerful strike from Cloud's sword.

I ran across the city's main plate and jumped up to the platform on the opposite side. The battle resumed around me, but I took a moment to feel the power that was now surrounding me. What creature would the materia summon this time?

The sky blazed with white and blue light, which crackled like static. Just then, I heard Dark Pit cry out, having just been KO'd by Corrin for the last time. The white recovery beam surrounded him and he vanished, but when the light vanished, I saw another column of light moving through the city from above!

Cloud and Corrin quickly ran to the middle of the main plate, trying to knock each other out of the way. They both stared in surprise at the white beam as it came closer, and vigorously tried to push each other towards it.

Then, suddenly, the beam had reached us, and a devastating power enveloped one side of Midgar's main plate! It just so happened to be the side I was on. The tremendous column of light surrounded me, but thanks to the power of the materia still coursing through me, I was protected from the astounding power of the white light.

"Out of the way!" Corrin screamed, jumping into the air. For a moment, I wondered what his intention was, but then I saw the smash ball floating above the middle platform. With a strike of his enchanted blade, Corrin hit the glowing orb right into the column of light!

Then, Corrin landed a downward strike that sent Cloud flying into the powerful beam as well, significantly increasing his damage. Incredible! I didn't realize how powerful the monster from the materia really was.

The powerful column of light subsided and the smash ball floated above the middle platform. "Ha!" I cried, and jumped up to hit it. The orb broke with a loud crack and power erupted inside me.

Then, Corrin let out a scream of terror! I wasn't sure whether it was me getting the smash ball or Cloud's attack that caused him to scream, but Corrin was sent flying! A moment later, Cloud had turned in my direction when I jumped down to Midgar's main plate, surrounded with the fire of the smash ball.

Seeing this, Cloud darted away in the opposite direction. Whether to knock out Corrin or to escape me was unclear, but Cloud wouldn't miss the opportunity to change the battle in his favor.

Without hesitation, Cloud jumped off of the edge of the platform and hit Corrin with a strike that sent him crashing downward. The dragon swordsman was focused solely on trying to get back up, and hadn't countered Cloud's hit in time.

"Aahh!" Corrin screamed as he fell out of bounds one last time, now defeated.

Cloud flipped through the air and landed back on the ledge. However, I was ready for him. Before he could react, I had closed the distance between us and activated my smash power.

I surrounded both of us with a blue bubble, and now it was time for Cloud's mind to take a trip through the cosmos. There was a white flash of light as I transformed, first into a wizard, blasting Cloud with a spell from my wand. I transformed again, this time gaining wings adorned with crystals, and struck him with draithian fire.

I transformed again and struck a few more times. Cloud could barely keep up with what was going on. Not only was he dealing with my transformations, but his mind was actually seeing the worlds where these powers came from. I attacked Cloud with my Green Lantern ring, an Olympian lightning bolt, a Kamehameha beam, and a mist of ice.

Everything happened within a few seconds, and by this time, I'm pretty sure Cloud's head was spinning as he tried to take all of this in. I transformed back to normal, charged up my energy and released it in one final white beam. Even then, I knew the battle was over. I landed on the ground as Cloud vanished in the recovery light, knowing that I had been the victor.

"Yes!" I exclaimed, spinning once and pumping a glowing fist in the air. I had been transported to the winner's pavilion, and Cloud, Corrin, and Dark Pit stood behind me, clapping. Then, the electric blue portal appeared in front of us, and we all stepped through it, being transported back to the mansion.

"Awesome!" I cried as we cleared the room for the next fighters. "That was the best battle yet!"

"It was pretty good!" Corrin agreed.

I smiled at the dragon swordsman. "Cloud totally got you with that last downward attack!" I said, grinning.

"Hey! Better than being hit by your final smash!" Corrin retorted, flashing a wide smile at Cloud.

"I'm guessing that wasn't very pleasant, was it?" Dark Pit taunted the soldier.

Cloud didn't respond.

By this time, we reached the mansion's living room, where other smashers waited for details on our battle.

"How'd the battle go?" Samus asked, being the first one to speak. Some of the smashers stared intently at Cloud, waiting for a full account of what my final smash made him see.

"Don't ask." Cloud said, dismissing the question. With that, he walked away without another word.

I watched him go, somewhat puzzled. Surely Cloud wasn't upset that he lost the match. But, it sounded like something was on his mind.

As everyone else talked about our match, I contemplated what the soldier could be thinking about. Maybe I was making too big of deal out of this, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with him. Was my final smash really that surprising to him? Or, was it something else?

I thought back to when I had first faced Cloud on the battlefield. It was during the Smash tournament. He had defeated me, and I had revealed my identity as the universe protector to him, asking if I could count on him if I needed his help. To my surprise, he refused, declaring he wasn't interested. Maybe it had something to do with that.

Then, other events of our concluded battle replayed in my head, particularly the race for that last piece of red materia. I thought of the power of the crystal summons and wanted to learn more about it, as well as the world it came from.

Suddenly, I felt a tingling in my left hand where I had caught the materia in our battle. I lifted my hand and examined it. Nothing seemed different about where I had made contact with the glowing gem, but for some reason, I had a bad feeling. Something felt different, as if the strange crystal had left something undesirable with me.

 **A/N: Here's chapter one!**


	2. The Silver Haired Man

**A/N: Okay! Here's chapter two! It takes place in Junior's world. I don't know how great my descriptions are, but please let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my original characters.**

"Junior! Angel! Time to do your reading!" Mom called from down the hall.

I groaned. "Ugh, do we have to?" I asked. Angel and I were in the middle of a game of Duel Monsters, and we didn't really feel like stopping any time soon. But, Mom wouldn't hear it. She always insisted we read for twenty minutes each day so we can practice.

"Yes, you do." Mom answered as she came out to the living room, a tone of finality in her voice.

You'd think that having to learn and decipher about a million different languages across the cosmos would be enough practice, but no.

My sister and I reluctantly set our cards down and looked for a book to read. Angel picked up a children's picture book, plopped down on the couch with it, and was about to start reading.

My mom shook her head disapprovingly. "That book is too easy for you. Read one of the chapter books." Angel sighed, put down the book and looked for another one.

I eyed the Korugarian history book on the desk and was about to reach for it when Mom saw what I was up to. "Something from this universe, Junior!" she said firmly, but her eyes were twinkling.

"Aw, all right." I said, trying to conceal a guilty smile. I went to the bookcase and was about to pick out a book that would satisfy my mom, when suddenly, the air around me grew heavy and chills ran down my spine. "Evil." I thought, recognizing the warning my powers gave me.

"So much for reading." I muttered as I stood to investigate. Mom and Angel, who had felt my light's change as well, looked around nervously. The enemy, whoever it was, would be here within seconds. New enemies always had a way of finding me, though I rarely understood how.

Moments later, there was a bright flash of blue light from outside. "What in the world?" Mom cried in alarm, hurrying to the window to peer out between the blinds. "Junior, who's that?"

"What?" I asked, trying not to panic. I ran up to the sliding glass door and hastily looked outside.

A man with silver hair now stood in the yard. Blue specks of light suggested that he had just teleported there a second ago. He wore a black cloak and carried a long sword. One glance at him, and I knew that he was the source of the evil I sensed.

The cloaked figure raised a hand and I felt the tremendous energy concentrated in his fingertips. He was going to attack, and I only had a split second to prevent it!

Without even considering what I was doing, I leapt into action. "Stop!" I cried, exploding outside and landing a few feet away from the cloaked swordsman

I heard Akaela's urgent voice over my communicator, but in all the commotion, I only caught the last word of what she said. "…Sephiroth!" Was that the intruder's name? He wasn't from any world I had been to.

The silver haired man lowered his hand and I felt the built up energy disperse, but he didn't seem at all surprised by my arrival.

"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice deadly calm. He moved his sword slightly and a speck of dark energy was released from it. Magic!

Answering that question was a bad idea. I didn't want Sephiroth to know that I was the universe protector until I could learn more about him first. "I don't think I should tell you." I answered boldly, trying to calm my racing heart.

Sephiroth stared at me for another moment. "Well, that's an interesting light around you." He said, motioning to the glowing aura enveloping me. "So that's the cosmic white light I've heard about, and I suppose you must be its chosen wielder."

"So what if I am?" I asked defiantly.

Sephiroth's expression remained emotionless, but, his intensions became perfectly clear with his next statement. "I wonder if it won't change its mind… once I defeat you." By the boundless power radiating from him, I had the sinking feeling that I was in trouble.

"Show me your strength." The evil swordsman provoked, raising his long blade. I summoned my own weapon, a magic light sword, and stood to face him.

I thought Sephiroth would use his sword, but instead, he released a few bursts of dark energy! I jumped aside and retaliated with a blast of light, but the powerful swordsman deflected it easily.

I transferred some of my power into my sword, thinking I could attack the enemy that way, but Sephiroth was quick. He lunged at me with his blade and I barely blocked in time. Quick as a flash, I released the power from my sword in a white beam.

Since Sephiroth seemed to know about my power, I didn't see any harm in using just enough to give me an advantage, but not reveal the secret of other worlds to him. When my white beam hit, I leapt into the air and flew towards him, ready to attack again.

However, my opponent didn't seem surprised by this at all. "Give in to the dark!" he ordered, and released a fairly powerful blast of dark energy. "Ugh!" I groaned as it hit me. I was knocked backwards, but then I did a backflip, deflecting most of the energy with my enchanted sword.

"No!" I declared in response to Sephiroth's demand. My heart pounding, I fired a barrage of heat lasers at the enemy, hitting the mark with each one.

"You'll never take my light!" I declared confidently. Clenching a fist, I conjured a burst of fire and hurled it at my opponent, but, before the flames could reach him, Sephiroth disappeared in a flash of blue light!

Almost immediately, he appeared behind me, and dealt a strike that sent me flying! "You will succumb to the darkness!" he declared, his voice level. "I've already made sure of that." He then launched several small dark energy spheres at me.

Two can play at the teleportation game, I thought, and vanished away, reappearing to Sephiroth's right. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough, and one of the blasts brushed against my left hand, but I wouldn't let that stop me.

"Take this!" I cried, landing a series of swift, powerful, strikes with my blade.

"That's enough!" Sephiroth said boldly, deflecting my next attack with his long sword and knocking me backwards, hard. I quickly twisted in the air before I crashed into the side of the house, and using the momentum of Sephiroth's attack, rolled backward to avoid his blade yet again.

Sephiroth was relentless! He turned towards me and raised his weapon again. I stood and turned intangible to dodge his next strike, then mustered my light energy and unleashed a powerful white beam at the enemy.

Unfortunately, Sephiroth teleported away, and my energy beam struck the fence, leaving a large hole. With panic threatening to overtake me, I turned around just in time to find that Sephiroth had reappeared across the yard behind me.

"Thunder!" I cried, summoning a blast of lightning before Sephiroth could pull off another long range attack. Sephiroth simply deflected the lightning with his blade and it struck the ground, leaving a small crater. I had the feeling that Sephiroth was finished playing around.

My assumption was proved correct with Sephiroth's next attack. "Perish now!" the enemy said in a level voice, demonstrating complete control, and with that, he summoned a massive wall of fire! I gasped in horror as the flames rose higher and higher into the sky. My heart hammered inside my chest and I stood frozen to the spot, trembling! How on earth was I going to stop this?

The heat was so intense, and the ground shook! Had the sprinklers not turned at that very moment, my house and the surrounding area would have probably been destroyed because fear held me bound. But, the hissing sound of the water knocked me back to my senses, and with a burst of inspiration, I knew what had to be done.

I gritted my teeth and concentrated all of my energy on the seemingly endless supply of water underground. Then, I raised my arms, willing the water to burst free from the pipes. A massive tidal wave rose up around me, and with all my strength, I sent the towering wave crashing into the giant inferno!

I felt a wave of intense heat when the columns of water and fire collided. "Just a little more!" I pleaded in my mind, willing the water to move faster. The flow of the water underground sped up. This seemed to provide just enough force to match Sephiroth's flames.

The two forces exploded on contact, and I was momentarily blinded by light and heat. I quickly froze the water around me and fired ice shards at the evil swordsman. When the explosion subsided, all that remained were a few harmless sparks of fire and muddy terrain.

Both of us had been launched to opposite sides of the area due to the force of our too attacks, but I quickly rose to my feet. I took deep breaths, trying to fight my lightheadedness. If I wanted to end this battle, I had to act now. I raised my free hand and focused all of my power into my fingers.

"What intriguing power." Sephiroth said as he was struck with one last energy blast.

I lowered my blades slightly and stared at my opponent. "How was that?" I asked boldly, hoping that the battle had truly concluded.

"I'll admit you're very skilled…" the silver haired man said calmly. "But it seems that Cloud is the only one… who can eliminate me." I gasped as thoughts swirled around in my mind. Cloud? Did he mean the swordsman I had met in the Smash tournament who had utterly refused to help me? Was Sephiroth looking for him, too?

"Well, Cloud isn't here." I pointed out uncertainly, hoping that this would give him enough incentive to leave.

But, instead of teleporting away, the silver haired man narrowed his eyes. "How observant." Sephiroth said sinisterly, and lunged at me so fast that I barely had time to raise my sword!

 **A/N: Well, there's chapter two! Will Junior be able to conquer this new enemy? The battle continues next time! Again, feel free to leave a review!**

 **If you want to read more of Junior's and Anti-Junior's adventures, feel free to visit my profile!**


	3. Darkness And Light

**A/N: Here's chapter three! Last time we left Junior, he was fighting the evil Sephiroth! Will help come to save him? Or will the universe protector lose his light to the silver haired man? Well, here we go!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my original characters.**

So, blocking with my magic sword wasn't one of my better ideas. Not when someone was hurtling towards me with all the speed and power of a missile! The force of Sephiroth's attack was so strong that my blade didn't stand a chance! As the sound of clashing metal rang out through the air, my magic sword exploded in a devastating blaze of powerful white light!

"Aahh!" I screamed as I was forced backwards, toppling onto the muddy grass and crashing into the already damaged fence. My mystic sword had completely disintegrated, and my hand clenched around nothing but air.

Sephiroth skidded backwards to the other side of the yard, momentarily dazed by the blinding explosion of light from my destroyed weapon.

My heart racing, I stood again, completely out of breath. All I could do was try my best to defend against my opponent's next assault.

I glanced down at my watch communicator. If I hit the panic button, would help come in time? And who would come? In order to keep the other worlds a secret from the silver haired man, it had to be someone from his world, but then that would mean…

"Junior! Look out!" Akaela's voice called urgently from the communicator. I glanced up just in time to find that Sephiroth had risen to his feet and charged forward, a deadly gleam in his eyes!

I gasped in horror and held out my hands, attempting to focus long enough to conjure a protective barrier. But, realizing I only had half a second before Sephiroth's sword struck, my confidence fleeted away, and was replaced by utter terror.

I closed my eyes tightly and crossed my arms over my heart, bracing myself for the enemy's attack, when out of nowhere… clang! The sound of metal hitting metal rang out through the silent air!

My eyes flew open, and I saw a glowing blue blur soaring through the air, having just intercepted Sephiroth's blade. The swordsman landed near me and the blue glow faded. I gasped in surprise as I recognized the warrior's spiky blonde hair and striking blue eyes.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud shouted angrily, stepping towards the silver haired man.

Sephiroth raised his sword and pointed it in Cloud's direction. "I understand you've been looking for me." He acknowledged, his voice perfectly level.

"Yeah." Cloud answered boldly. "Once I get rid of you, the darkness will go away."

Sephiroth wasn't intimidated by this. "Can you do it?" he asked calmly. "That darkness comes from your own dark memories. Do you think you can erase your past?"

Cloud narrowed his eyes in frustration as his enemy continued speaking. "Face it. You turn your back on the present, and live in the past… because the light of the present is too much."

"You don't know me!" Cloud shot back, his irritation growing.

"I know… because I am you." The silver haired man stated.

The next thing I knew, Cloud had rushed forward towards his enemy. "Cloud!" I cried out, a little too late. The two swordsmen lunged at each other and their blades clashed, ringing through the air!

I was impressed. The two of them were a blur of activity, each of them fighting with all of their strength, their movements as fast as ninjas. Cloud and Sephiroth traded hits back and forth, their blades glinting in the sunlight.

Cloud was about to attack Sephiroth, when the evil swordsman leapt out of the way. The silver haired man countered so quickly that his sword missed Cloud's shoulder by mere centimeters.

In the nick of time, Cloud turned, deflected Sephiroth's next assault, leapt backwards, and fired a green beam from his fusion blade.

Sephiroth deflected the beam and lunged at Cloud again. Cloud sidestepped the attack and countered. Quick as a flash, Sephiroth teleported to a different spot of the yard, throwing Cloud off balance momentarily.

The battle went on, and Sephiroth seemed to have the upper hand. Cloud couldn't fight him alone. I had to help him. It was my fault he was here after all. If Sephiroth hadn't been looking for my powers, then Cloud wouldn't have had to come to stop him.

Sephiroth leapt into the air to attack Cloud with an aerial strike. I formed an energy blast and was about to fire, but suddenly, my mind became unfocused.

I gasped in shock at what was happening. The world was spinning now, and Cloud and Sephiroth were two blurs that I couldn't identify. A feeling of lightheadedness came over me and I shivered, having experienced a sudden chill. I fell to my knees. What was going on? This never happened before!

I closed my eyes, trying to focus and clear my mind. The sounds of the battle became more distant and I was growing weaker. No! I couldn't pass out! Not now! I had to keep fighting!

At that moment, I heard Sephiroth's voice, a clear echo in my mind. "You don't look well." The swordsman taunted sinisterly. The truth was I didn't feel well. Something was sapping my strength, but what was it?

However, before I could contemplate this further, the power light in my heart swelled with energy, as if driving some unknown force away. A moment later, my energy returned, and I almost felt normal again, as if nothing had happened. I still had to wonder, though. What was that unknown force? And would it strike again?

I stood and opened my eyes, ready to rejoin the fight. Everything slowly came back into focus, just in time for me to realize that Sephiroth had fired a burst of dark energy at me!

"Ah!" I cried, throwing myself to the ground as the blast sailed over my head. I quickly got to my feet and blasted Sephiroth with lightning. The evil swordsman dodged the electric attack, but this gave Cloud the opportunity he needed to land a powerful blow to Sephiroth's body. However, the silver haired man was not fazed by this, and he charged towards Cloud again.

"Absurd." Sephiroth said as their swords clashed. "Defeating me is meaningless. You know that better than anyone, Cloud."

Sephiroth's piercing gaze seemed to penetrate Cloud's soul. Cloud was struggling now, and each word Sephiroth spoke seemed to discourage him from the battle. "No matter how many times I fall, your darkness keeps calling me back."

Cloud winced, as if he feared that there was some truth in his enemy's 's last statement replayed in my mind, and I couldn't stand it anymore!

"Wrong!" I asserted, stepping forward.

"Junior! Stay back!" Cloud warned, still pushing against Sephiroth's sword.

"No!" I responded firmly. "I want to help you!"

Sephiroth turned to me. "You can't." he said. "He'll never let go of the darkness."

I didn't know Cloud well at all, but I knew enough to know that Sephiroth's claim about him was wrong. "Yes he will!" I responded confidently. "He just needs someone to surround him with light."

"Is that right?" Sephiroth questioned, pointing his sword in my direction. "Let's see what this light of yours can do."

"Ha!" I cried, launching into the air towards Sephiroth. A white light blazed around me as I summoned the power from inside my heart.

"No!" Cloud screamed with concern.

I landed, narrowly avoiding a burst of dark energy from Sephiroth's blade.

I released a blast of fire, then flipped through the air to avoid Sephiroth's attack to my right arm. Sephiroth dodged the flames and tried again with a combination of quick sword strikes. I sidestepped and rolled out of the way, then, after firing an energy blast, I teleported away and reappeared near Cloud, who watched in stunned silence.

Suddenly, Sephiroth jumped into the air and lunged towards Cloud at top speed. "Look out!" I cried, snapping Cloud out of his astonishment. Cloud raised his sword and parried Sephiroth's attack just in time, barely avoiding a hit to the chest.

The blonde swordsman glared at Sephiroth, and though he had been weakened significantly, he showed no signs of surrendering to the silver haired man. Most of our energy had been spent during this fight, and I wondered how we'd be able to win. I looked fervently at Cloud, wondering how I could give him the strength to continue fighting.

Then, an idea came to me. It would be risky, but if it worked, not only would we defeat Sephiroth, but Cloud would realize a temporary relief from his inner darkness.

"Cloud. You can have my light." I offered sincerely.

Sephiroth stared at his opponent. "The light doesn't suit you." He said.

Cloud blinked, unsure of what to do. "I just… don't know." He whispered uncertainly.

Though the blonde warrior had his doubts, I couldn't afford to give into mine. Almost trembling with weakness, I concentrated on releasing the power light from my heart. The white sphere exited my heart and rose into the air, floating in Cloud's direction.

Unfortunately, Sephiroth saw this as well. "Stop!" he ordered fiercely, and leapt into the air to attack me!

I gasped in horror, immediately taking in the fact that now I was completely defenseless!

I glanced fearfully at Cloud just as my light entered his heart. He now radiated with a powerful white glow, and I could feel his energy increasing.

Sephiroth landed closer to me and was about to strike me down, when he glanced over at Cloud, hesitating only for a second. Luckily, his moment's distraction had saved me from losing this battle.

Immediately, Cloud leaped into the air towards his adversary, glowing brightly with newfound strength. Sephiroth turned his attention away from me and launched into the air to intercept him.

The white illumination grew more intense. My eyes widened in astonishment as the energy became almost too much to bear! There was an extremely bright flash of light in the sky as the two swordsman collided, and I fell to the ground, my strength exhausted

 **A/N: What happened back there, Junior? Find out next time! Oh, and thanks for reading!**

 **If you want to read more of Junior's and Anti-Junior's adventures, feel free to visit my profile!**


	4. The Enemy Inside

**A/N: Will Cloud bring Junior's power light back safely? And why did the universe protector pass out? Let's find out, shall we?**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my original characters.**

When I slowly came to, I found that I was still lying on the muddy ground in my backyard. The sun hadn't moved at all in the sky, and I felt its gentle warmth on my face. As far as I could tell, no one else was around, which was fine with me for the moment.

However, a throbbing pain coerced through my body, and as I became fully awake, a question pushed itself to the front of my mind. What had become of Cloud and Sephiroth after Cloud had accepted my power light?

Right on cue, I heard Akaela's cool, gentle voice over my communicator. "Cloud is dealing with Sephiroth for the time being. Also, we'll get you a new sword, and one of your otherworldly companions will come to repair the battle damage."

I relaxed a little, grateful to hear this. However, I wondered why my instructor would tell me some of these things. I could easily repair the battle damage when I got my powers back.

Ignoring the pain inflicted by Sephiroth, I tried to muster enough strength to get up and walk to the house, but it just didn't come. I had to strain for even the slightest movement, and with each one, my body trembled as if begging to rest. I hadn't felt this drained when I had given my powers to Cloud. How had I lost so much energy?

"Cloud is coming to bring my power light back, right?" I inquired uncertainly.

My instructor hesitated for a brief moment. "Uh, well…"she began.

Suddenly, two pairs of footsteps ran across the muddy grass towards me. "Junior! Are you all right?" a frantic voice carried across the yard.

"Mom?" I asked weakly. I tried to sit up, but my body felt like it weighed one thousand pounds.

"Junior!" My mom cried again, leaning over me, the panic evident in her voice.

"Junior! Junior! Are you okay?" My little sister asked fearfully. "That bad guy isn't going to come back, is he?"

My mom offered her hand to help me up. I tried to reach for it, but failed to lift my arm.

"Help… me…" I pleaded, my voice trembling. I could barely talk, let alone move.

"Here." Mom said, kneeling by me. She held out a small, glass, bottle of vibrant, blue liquid. A healing potion.

"It's a good thing you have them labeled, otherwise I wouldn't know what any of your potions do." She said rather lightheartedly, uncorking the viol and pressing it to my lips.

The potion tasted like blueberries, and when I swallowed the first mouthful, the pain caused by Sephiroth's magic and sword strikes was slowly washed away.

I downed the potion in a few gulps and handed the bottle back to my mom. But, though the elixir had healed my injuries and restored some of my energy, I was still too weak to stand on my own.

Mom was about to take the empty potion bottle from me when a sudden illumination startled her.

A powerful energy circulated through the air as a figure materialized a few feet away from us. Cloud had returned, his body bathed in my cosmic white light.

"Oh!" My mom exclaimed, straightening up in surprise. She and Angel stepped back and stared at the blond warrior. I was relieved to see that bright glow around him. This meant that my powers were safe from Sephiroth.

I tried to sit up once more. Seeing this, Mom bent down to help again. With some effort, she managed to get me standing partially. I trembled as I tried to keep my balance. Cloud stepped forward to help, and I was half-carried into the house with Angel following close behind.

"You're not hurting anymore, are you?" Mom asked as she brushed some of the mud off of me and helped me to the couch.

"No." I answered, shaking my head. "Just… a little cold."

Mom looked at me curiously, a hint of worry in her eyes. "You're not getting sick, are you?" she asked.

I blinked for a moment. "Um…" I hesitated, thinking about when I had almost fainted during the fight with Sephiroth.

Before I could say anything, Mom spoke again. "I'll go get you a blanket." She said, and left the room.

Cloud, who had been standing by the door, took a step closer to me. His expression was almost hurried, as if he wanted to complete an errand and be on his way.

"Your light." he said somewhat snappishly. "How do I return it?"

I tried to think of how to explain, but it was as if my mind didn't want to work harder than it had to at the moment, and my thoughts remained blank.

Thankfully, Angel broke the awkward silence. "I think you have to tell it with your head!" she informed, seeming proud that she remembered this fact.

"Uuhh…" Cloud breathed, taking a moment to work out what my sister said. Then he closed his eyes as if he were concentrating on something.

Seconds later, the white orb of light containing my cosmic power exited Cloud's heart and floated in the middle of the room. Now I'd finally be able to recover from my weakness.

But, Just as that thought entered my mind, the glowing white light changed direction and shot towards Cloud, entering his heart once again! "What?" the soldier marveled, somewhat bewildered, as the white aura surrounded him.

Angel laughed a little. "It likes you!" she commented cheerfully.

Cloud closed his eyes and tried releasing the light again. The white glow around him faded, but my cosmic power remained where it was, inside his heart.

"It's not working!" Cloud stated, clearly annoyed.

"I-I don't know what's wrong." I informed honestly. Why was Cloud so angry? Did he think I was playing a joke on him or something?

Just then, Mom came out carrying a warm, red blanket. "Here you go." She said, spreading the blanket over me. Mom then turned to Cloud. "Thank you so much for everything." She acknowledged.

Cloud regarded her for a moment, then spoke. "I gotta go." He said impatiently. He turned back to me. "Is there another way to-?"

However, the soldier stopped speaking abruptly, his searching gaze now fixed on my left hand. Cloud's blue eyes widened in shock, and for a brief moment he looked terrified, though he quickly masked it with his usual serious expression.

I watched the blonde warrior, wondering what he was looking at. He took a few quick strides forward, grabbed hold of my left hand and stared at it, as if he were examining it.

Cloud's eyes narrowed with concern and his mouth tightened. He took a deep breath and exhaled, as if trying to calm down. But I felt his grip on my wrist stiffen, and knew that something was bothering him.

"Are you okay?" Mom asked the swordsman, having also noticed the change in his demeanor.

Cloud looked like a million thoughts were rapid firing in his mind. Still, the soldier was able to remain calm. "No." Cloud answered. "And neither is he."

Cloud gently turned my hand in his and my mom gasped with slight surprise. Her eyes widened with confusion and fear. I raised my head to see what everyone else was looking at.

On my hand were a few little dark spots, the color of seeds, though slightly larger. They kind of reminded me of bug bites, though they didn't hurt. But, I hadn't noticed them before.

"What is it?" I whispered nervously.

"Geostigma." Cloud answered quietly, a hint of agitation in his voice. He let go of my hand and I rested it on the blanket again.

"What's Geostigma?" Mom questioned. But, she looked doubtful, as if unsure whether she wanted to know or not.

Cloud took a moment to collect his thoughts. "No one really knows." he informed. "Some think it's caused by Mako energy from my world's lifestream. Geostigma will drain your strength, and sometimes it may cause hallucinations, but I don't think it's contagious."

"…Wait." Mom said when Cloud had finished explaining. "Junior hasn't gone to your world, has he?" she asked, looking inquiringly at me.

I thought for a few seconds, trying to remember. "I don't think so…" I answered.

Presently, Cloud's eyes lit up with a sudden burst of enlightenment. I wondered what he had figured out, but then, at that moment, a memory came back to me, a battle with three others in a deteriorating futuristic city…

"Smash." We said in unison.

Of course! I had been to Cloud's world… during our fight with Corrin and Dark Pit. I pondered this, trying to figure out how I could have gotten Geostigma from a friendly battle at the Smash mansion.

"I didn't touch anything from your world…" I said uncertainly. "Or did I?"

Cloud was silent momentarily, then realization filled his eyes. "You did." He answered. "Materia…. The one I didn't grab on time." His teeth clenched, he stepped back, not meeting my eyes. I than thought I knew why he seemed so angry. He was blaming himself for this!

"Wait, what does Materia have to do with this?" I wondered, remembering the red crystals.

"Materia is a condensed form of lifestream energy." Cloud explained. "The crystal you touched must have been tainted." He balled his hands into fists and his voice shook with guilt. "I should have been faster. I should've gotten that one."

I shifted slightly on the couch, trying to get myself comfortable. "It's not your fault…" I said as sincerely as I could. "Besides, wouldn't that have gotten you sick?"

Cloud looked down at the ground for a moment. "It wouldn't have mattered." He muttered bleakly.

My mom and Angel stared at him with raised eyebrows. How could he say something like that?

"What? Why not?" I asked, shocked.

Cloud shifted uncomfortably, then he slowly pulled up his left sleeve, revealing a number of little dark spots just above his elbow, the manifestation of Geostigma.

We all gasped, now doubly surprised. It took me a minute to find my voice. "Y-you have it, too?" I asked.

Cloud nodded and lowered his sleeve again. "It's usually more fatal to kids." he explained, perceiving the inquiring look on my mom's face.

Well, this explained how Cloud was able to fight Sephiroth while I could barely stand. My powers must have been fighting off the disease for some time, but now that Cloud had them, I had nothing to protect me from the full effects of Geostigma.

Mom sighed deeply. "So, what can we do? I suppose we can't just pick up a cure at the local pharmacy, can we?" she asked, having had experience with otherworldly injuries before.

Cloud's expression became graver than before. His next statement seemed to take everyone's breath away. "There is no cure." He affirmed.

The room filled with a deafening silence, and tension seemed to increase like a spreading fire. Angel gasped, her eyes wide with shock. "Th-there's not?" she asked timidly.

Luckily, my mom came to the rescue. "What he means is that there is no known cure." she rephrased, trying to comfort my sister. She then shot an imploring look at Cloud, hoping that this was true.

"Well, if there is, no one from my world has found it." Cloud said pointedly.

I took a deep breath, trying to find the words to my next question. "I know when we first battled in the tournament you said you weren't interested in helping me, but now, you have my powers and we're in the same boat when it comes to Geostigma…"

My voice trembled slightly with weakness and nervousness as I articulated the question that was on everyone's minds. "Could you maybe find a cure for both of us?"

My mom and sister looked expectantly at Cloud with pleading eyes, as if he were not only my last hope, but theirs, too. The blonde swordsman was silent for a few seconds, as if deep in thought. Then he spoke.

"Hm, guess I'll have to." he responded seriously.

I was stunned. After Cloud had deliberate refused to help me during the Smash tournament, he had come to my world to fight Sephiroth, and now he had promised to find a cure for me.

"Thank… you." I whispered solemnly.

Cloud turned away, and his blue limit break energy surrounded him. I knew that once he had gone with my power light, I would feel the difference, and so would everyone around me.

It was my job to protect the cosmos, but now my power was with Cloud and I didn't understand why. I was now forced to put my trust in a virtual stranger because he held the answer that would save me. Was there even a cure for Geostigma? And how much time did Cloud have to find it for us?

The limit break energy increased and Cloud vanished from the room along with the feelings of peace and security that my white light emitted, leaving my body greatly weakened and my mind lost in the dark.

 **A/N: Will Junior be able to cope with the fatal disease? Why has his power left him? And Will Cloud find a cure? Thanks for reading!**

 **If you want to read more of Junior's and Anti-Junior's adventures, feel free to visit my profile!**


	5. I Dream of Cloud

**A/N: Hi, guys! Thanks for coming back to the story! So, this next chapter is slightly longer. I didn't know where to break it up into two chapters.**

 **Also, here's where stuff from worlds other than Final Fantasy and Smash starts happening, but hopefully it will still be interesting!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my original characters.**

Though it wasn't a pleasant experience, normally I could handle being sick. At least I knew that help was attainable by some medicine or a drive to the doctor's office. Not to mention the fact that I got to stay home from school and watch cartoons all day.

Geostigma, however, was a different story entirely. It was from another world, so nothing on my Earth would help me. I wasn't even sure if it could be cured, and since I didn't have the strength to find a cure on my own, that burden now rested with Cloud.

I couldn't stand it when others had to protect me. I was supposed to be protecting them. It was my job, after all, and I didn't like it when I couldn't fulfill it.

My mom was taking pretty good care of me. She had gotten me all the essentials; thermometer, a glass of water, a damp cloth, the TV remote, and a bell that I could ring if I needed anything else, kind of like one in a hotel lobby.

Unfortunately, she had also taken my watch communicator, my only window into other universes at the moment. "You can't worry about what's going on in other worlds." Mom had said. "You need to focus on getting better."

Akaela had agreed with this, but I couldn't just ignore the cosmos. That would be like trying to ignore a toothache.

Thanks to the battle with Sephiroth and the weakness caused by my current condition, I didn't have any trouble falling asleep even though the sun was still high in the sky. When I awoke, I had hoped that this was all just a nightmare, but one glance at the black spots on my left hand told me otherwise.

"Junior." My mom whispered softly when she saw that I had awakened. "It's almost time for dinner."

"I'm not hungry…" I stated, rolling on my side.

Mom shook her head, refusing to take 'no' for an answer. "You only had a little bit of breakfast and you missed lunch." She reasoned. "You need to eat something."

Then a wide smile crossed her face. "Besides, I made baked potato soup, your favorite!" she bribed. "Please at least try to eat a little bit."

I closed my eyes, breathing in the savory aroma of the delicious soup topped with bacon, melted cheese, diced onions, and sour cream, and found that I was a little hungry after all. "I'll try." I agreed quietly.

Mom looked almost relieved as she went to the kitchen to get my food. "Here you go." she said, bringing the small bowl of soup to me. "You can always have more if you want it."

My little sister brought her bowl to the two-seater couch by me and sat down. "Mom, is Junior going to get better soon?" she asked timidly.

Mom sat down next to her. "I don't know. That depends on when Cloud comes back." She said, placing a consoling hand on Angel's shoulder.

"Well, he'd better come back soon." Angel said, glancing at me.

"He said he would." Mom reassured. "We just have to wait."

I had only eaten a few spoon-fulls of the delicious, creamy, soup when a bright column of light appeared in the living room. For one fleeting moment, I thought Cloud had returned with the cure he had promised!

But then I saw the color of the light. It wasn't quite the blue of the limit break energy Cloud used to transport to my world. Mom and Angel held their breath, wondering if the otherworldly visitor was friend or foe.

Virtually anyone with some form of magic or transporting technology could make it to my Earth, and that included enemies bent on eliminating me, but this light energy was one of the easiest to recognize. It was greenish blue, and radiated ten thousand years of built up power.

The figure that materialized in the living room was a man with white hair and soft, gold eyes. He wore pale blue and white royal robes and around his neck was a large, green pendant shaped like an orb.

"Dartz." I said, regarding the king of Atlantis. I had to guess that he, like many others through the multiverse, had felt my power light's departure, and wanted to see how I was doing.

The Atlantian ruler looked down at me with kind eyes, then turned to my mother.

"Is Junior all right?" Dartz asked quietly. "I heard he wasn't feeling well."

Mom was about to answer when I chimed in. "How'd you know that?" I wondered curiously, while at the same time trying to be respectful.

The king of Atlantis smiled warmly. "Information travels quickly through the cosmos." He answered vaguely.

I blinked and thought for a moment. "Did the Orichalcos tell you?" I asked inquisitively. Since Dartz was now one of my companions who had promised to help me protect the cosmos, it would make sense that he would be able to receive visions or warnings about me through some mystical means.

Dartz nodded, smiling slightly. "It was much more difficult to connect with you without your light, but I managed it." He explained.

My eyes flicked up to the purified green Orichalcos stone hanging from the circlet around his head, and I felt a rush of relief that it didn't still contain evil energy.

"Please feel free to let me know if there is anything I can do for you, child." Dartz offered, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.

I nodded, appreciating the little comfort he could offer me. Dartz then tapped into the Orichalcos's power, and with a gentle wave at all of us, vanished in a bluish green light.

"You really have a lot of people looking out for you." Mom said once the Atlantian king had gone. "It makes me feel better to know that."

"Yeah, me too." I agreed. However, not everyone in the multiverse was looking out for my wellbeing. In fact, there were many enemies who would do their best to make my life miserable. If they were to come here and find me like this…

"Junior? Are you all right?" my mom asked, having seen the anxious expression on my face.

"Yeah." I answered quickly, trying to hide my insecurity from her.

"Did you want some more soup?" she asked, offering the unfinished bowl to me.

But, I already lost what little appetite I had. "No thanks." I answered, laying down again.

"All right." Mom said, taking my bowl back to the kitchen, and she and Angel finished their food in silence.

Surprisingly, I found that I was able to do more that night. Somehow I found the strength to get up and walk around. Maybe the effects of Geostigma were only present part of the time, but it sure was better than lying in bed all day with nothing to do but fear for the cosmos.

Later, Mom had offered to help me to my room, but I decided to sleep on the couch. She had already set me up out here, and I didn't think it was worth it to move back to my room until I was feeling better.

That night, I slowly fell asleep and began to dream.

Usually when I'm sick, my dreams are simple, boring, and repetitive. This was definitely not one of those times. In this dream, I remembered everything, and it made me want to be back in the safety of my room more than anything.

I found myself in the middle of a beautiful, ancient city. The place had an aquatic feel to it. Buildings shaped like seashells lined the upper part of the city, and large crystals glowed softly in the moonlight.

Down below, tall towers reached to the sky, and a staircase made of pure light connected the two levels.

I stood in the lower section by one of the towers, and ahead to my right, a group of children was gathered around a pool of water. Suddenly, a mysterious disembodied voice echoed in my mind.

"Your cure awaits."

Something seemed to be beckoning me towards the water. I felt so weak. I didn't know how I found the strength to walk. I had barely taken my first step towards the spring, when I looked to my left and saw a lone figure standing about ten feet away from me.

My heart leaped in my chest when I saw who it was. Cloud!

I was about to try to reach him when the mysterious voice spoke again, and this time, I thought I noticed something familiar about it.

"Don't you want to be free of your illness?" it asked.

The voice was low and calm, almost hypnotizing, and I turned back towards the water again, advancing even closer to the rippling pool. But, something nagged at the back of my mind. Cloud had already promised to find a cure for me.

I glanced over at the soldier again, then turned back to the spring once more. If this was the cure to Geostigma, then why was Cloud walking away?

As if reading my thoughts, the voice responded. "Cloud never had a desire to assist you. He did say so himself. If given the chance, he would turn away from you without a second thought."

I frowned, recalling what happened after my first battle with Cloud in the Smash tournament. The swordsman had sounded pretty convincing when he said he didn't want to help me defend the multiverse. I had even seen the cold distance in his eyes. He didn't seem to care at all.

But then I remembered our battle with Sephiroth earlier that day. Could Cloud's expressed feelings of disinterest have changed since the battle in the mansion? Or was he just helping me because he felt he had to? Would he really abandon me if given the opportunity?

At this point, Cloud was almost out of sight now, having ascended the light staircase in order to leave the city.

The voice spoke again. "Look around. The others have already accepted."

"Others?" I wondered, shocked to learn that there were more people with this disease. I glanced around, wondering who else in the ancient city could have been sick. Surely all those kids couldn't have the disease, could they?

I gazed around at the other children. Now that I was closer, I could see that each of them had dark spots like those on my left hand, the manifestation of Geostigma. Some of the kids kneeling by the spring looked scared and confused, almost like they didn't know why they had come here.

I was puzzled. If this was supposed to be the cure for Geostigma, then why hadn't it worked on the kids who already drank from the spring?

"Unite with us." The voice beckoned, seeming to lull me under its spell.

I was almost to the pool's edge, and a drink from the spring sounded really tempting. I knelt down and was about to reach into the water when I saw the reflections of the other kids' faces.

Many of the children had a glassy look in their eyes, and they sure didn't seem like themselves. They looked more like zombies, as if they had been put in a trance. I glanced at them in surprise, then looked down at the pool again. Had the water in the spring done this to them?

Suddenly, a flicker of light from above snapped my gaze away from the spring. Flashes of green and blue lit up the sky followed by a loud pop, like a burst of magical energy released into the air. I found that it was the same direction that Cloud had gone. What could he be doing?

I don't know how I had heard it from this far away, but a creepy ghostly laugh echoed in the distance, sending chills down my spine, and I had the feeling that Cloud wasn't alone. Was he using all that magic against an enemy?

A wave of dread washed over me. I had to find out what was going on. Mustering all of my willpower, I stood up and turned away from the spring of water.

There were a few more pops and flares of green and blue light and a sense of urgency erupted inside of me. Fighting against my weakness, I staggered towards the light staircase to make my way out of the city. Using the urgency I now felt, I pushed myself forward past the seashell buildings and glowing crystals.

My body felt like lead and I couldn't move very fast, but, despite my weakness, I pressed on, stopping now and then to rest for a few seconds

Using all my strength, I had managed to make it to the outskirts of the ancient city. As I got closer to the commotion, more magic spells lit up the scene before me, and my confusion melted away, replaced by utter terror.

I had somehow caught up to Cloud, but he was surrounded by menacingly frightening shadow monsters. They sort of looked like humans, but darker, and I felt the mystic spirit energy within them.

"Gotta keep going…" Cloud said weakly, firing a green blade beam at one of the approaching creatures. The monster was destroyed, but two more charged at the blonde warrior!

I gasped in surprise, but my breath caught in my throat. Cloud already looked too weak to continue battling, and there were so many shadow monsters left. What would happen if he couldn't dodge this next attack?

I wanted to join the battle, to help him, but I knew my current sickness wouldn't allow that. I could barely move.

"Cloud!" I screamed in horror as the two shadow creatures converged on the weakened swordsman.

For what seemed like a millisecond, Cloud looked suddenly startled, as if he had heard me. Then, just as quickly, he intercepted the two creatures with his fusion blade, defeating them. The two monsters disappeared, dissolving into specks of greenish blue magic.

Cloud's eyes were shining with determination and new energy, like a blazing blue flame. The soldier glanced around at the ring of shadow creatures. There were only about seven or eight of them left now, but they all took the chance and charged in towards their antagonist.

Cloud narrowed his eyes in concentration, then at the very last second, he spread out his hands, releasing a devastating power! A brilliant flash of swirling blue light enveloped the shadow monsters. Then, to my surprise, that light was joined by another source of energy from inside his heart. My power!

The blue light was strengthened by boundless cosmic energy, and in a moment, the shadow monsters had been launched in all directions, some of them turning into greenish blue magic dust before they even hit the ground.

Cloud made quick work of the remaining three shadow beings. He was so skilled in battle. If he hadn't told me before, I wouldn't have known that Geostigma hindered his progress.

A few moments later, the blue aura disappeared, fading into the moonlit night. Seeming to not have seen me, Cloud sheathed his fusion blade and walked purposefully in the opposite direction.

He had only gone a few feet, however, before he looked back over his shoulder, and it was then that I knew by the look in his eyes that he would see the quest through to the end, whether he wanted to or not.

A few moments later, I opened my eyes and found that I was back in the living room. I stared up at the dim light that now filled the room. Mom had left it on in case I needed to get up in the middle of the night, but in reality, I think she was just worried about me.

Suddenly, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. Just as I thought, Mom had come out to check on me.

"Junior. Is everything all right?" Mom asked gently. "You were tossing and turning, and I heard you call out a few times."

I gazed up at her, momentarily confused, then nodded. "Yeah. It was just a dream." I reassured.

Mom seemed to relax a little after hearing that. "Oh, all right." She said. "I've refilled your water and brought you an extra blanket if you need it."

"Okay, thanks." I whispered as Mom put the folded blanket on the couch next to me and placed a glass filled to the brim with water on the end table.

"I'll let you go back to sleep now." Mom said, and she headed to her room at the end of the hall.

I tried to piece the events of my dream together. Who was the voice that was speaking to me? And where was the true cure for Geostigma if it wasn't the pool of water? What was Cloud looking for? And if there were others with this disease from his world, then would Cloud remember that he had to help me, too?

Then, I thought of Anti Junior and wondered how he was doing. Right now, he was probably working double time to defend the multiverse. Unfortunately, there wasn't an easy way to learn if my friend was all right or not. I hope he wasn't in a situation where he needed my help, otherwise he'd have to wait for who knew how long.

Thoughts continued rolling around in my head, and I was so absorbed in them that I hadn't noticed the eerie energy in the room right away. I began to feel tired again, so I figured it was better to stop thinking about otherworldly problems that I couldn't solve and get some rest.

I had just started to fall asleep when I heard the soft clank of my water glass hitting the table. My mom must have refilled it again. But, hadn't she just done that a few minutes ago?

Curiously, I opened my eyes and strained to see who now stood behind me. What happened next only took a second, but just the fact that he was here filled me with shock and lingering dread.

Whoosh! I saw a streak of silver, a blur of black, and a blinding flash of bright blue light as Sephiroth teleported from the room.

 **A/N: What was HE doing there? Find out next time!**

 **Feel free to leave a review, and thanks for reading!**

 **If you want to read more of Junior's and Anti-Junior's adventures, feel free to visit my profile!**


	6. That Was Close

**A/N: Hi, guys! Welcome to chapter six! I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my original characters.**

The next morning came way quicker than I wanted it to. I hadn't slept for the rest of the night, and the sudden blackout that Geostigma inflicted on me did nothing to restore my strength. In fact, I felt significantly weaker than I had before I went to sleep.

When I opened my eyes, bright sunlight streamed through the sliding glass door. I heard the sounds of my family bustling around in a rush. Mom was in the kitchen making breakfast, and Angel appeared to be packing her backpack for school.

I tried to at least sit up, but my body seemed to resist with every movement I made, so I just lay there with my eyes open, staring up at the ceiling.

"Hi, Junior!" Angel greeted, placing her hand on my arm. "Are you feeling better yet?"

"Ugh, no." I groaned. I was feeling totally drained. The day before, I had at least been able to get up and do things, but now, just sitting up was like trying to lift a boulder.

Angel looked disappointed, the shining hope in her eyes fading. "Oh," she said sadly. "I wish Cloud was here already."

"Don't we all…" I muttered somewhat lightheartedly, momentarily remembering last night's dream. Was Cloud fighting more enemies at the moment? Or had other obstacles arisen in his search for a cure?

The savory smell of bacon and eggs filled the air, and I actually felt a little hungry. Maybe some food would distract my sister from being sad as well.

"Angel! Breakfast is ready!" Mom called out.

Angel looked at me one more time, sighed, and slowly walked to the kitchen.

After my sister was settled with her food, Mom came out to the living room. "Hey, Junior. Did you sleep well?" she asked, feeling my forehead.

"More or less." I answered quietly.

"I made some breakfast." Mom said as she took my temperature. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah." I agreed in barely a whisper. I tried to move, but was only able to prop myself up on one elbow. Mom noticed this, and worry filled her eyes.

"Junior, are you all right?" she asked quietly, so as not to alarm Angel. I knew she was afraid to say what was on her mind, that my condition had gotten significantly worse overnight.

"Um…" I managed, my voice wavering.

Mom looked at my left hand for a few moments. "Hm, it doesn't like it's changed at all…" she mused, examining the little, dark spots on my palm and fingers.

But, before I could respond, Mom looked over and noticed the full glass of water on the end table. "You haven't had anything to drink since I refilled your cup last night. Maybe that's why you're running such a high temperature and can barely move."

She picked up the full glass of water and held it out to me. "Here. This will make you feel better."

These words seemed to ignite a sense of awareness inside of me. I had heard something similar recently, last night in my dream, in fact. I remembered the hypnotized looks on the faces of the children who had drank the water in the pool, the familiar voice telling me that the water would cure me, and Sephiroth's visit when I had awakened.

The glass was almost to my lips when everything seemed to click into place in my head. The dream and the enemy's arrival couldn't have been a coincidence. Sephiroth had done something to the water that my Mom was trying to get me to drink!

I gasped and jerked away, horrified at what might have happened had I not realized sooner.

"What's wrong?" Mom asked. "You don't want even a little bit?"

"N-No!" I said in a trembling voice.

The truth was that a long drink of cool water sounded like paradise, but not if it meant losing my mind to Sephiroth.

To my relief, Mom set the glass back on the end table again. "Maybe later, then?" She asked, still sounding worried.

But I shook my head vigorously. I had to make sure she got the point that I wouldn't be taking a drink of that water in the glass.

My mom frowned. "Junior. You have to drink something. It's the only way you'll be well again. You need lots of fluids. Please just drink a little bit." she implored.

I was about to refuse again when suddenly… Whoosh! Emerald flames erupted to life in the fireplace across the room!

"Oh my-!" My mom exclaimed, almost losing her grip on my water glass. The water sloshed around and came dangerously close to spilling over the top.

Surprised by the sudden noise, Angel almost dropped her fork as she spun around to see what was happening. For a moment, I was at a loss, but then a man's voice spoke from the green flames, and clarity came like a rushing wind.

"Hello! Sorry if I startled any of you." A wizard's head now peered out from the crackling emerald fire, and I was overjoyed and relieved at the thought of who had come to visit.

"Professor Lupin!" I exclaimed in a voice that barely carried across the room.

Mom smiled, only slightly surprised that a magical person's head had appeared in the fireplace. "Oh, that's all right." She replied calmly. "What can we do for you?" She seemed to take my excitement as an indication that said wizard was a trustworthy person.

Lupin spoke kindly to her. "I just wanted to see if everything was all right with Junior." He said. "He doesn't usually miss one of my classes."

"I'm sorry." I stated sincerely, feeling kind of bad that I had missed one of the extra Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons I had requested.

"Oh, I see." Mom said understandingly. "Well, Junior's right here. Would you like to come in and talk to him?"

"May I?" Lupin asked politely.

Mom nodded courteously and a few moments later, a man with brown hair dressed in wizard robes stepped out of the emerald flames.

"Junior's been sick since yesterday afternoon." Mom explained to Lupin

"I'm sorry to hear that, Junior." The magic professor said, his green eyes resting on me. "I thought something might have happened when I felt your power transfer. But, since I didn't feel any evil, I didn't think anything was wrong at first."

My mom nodded. "Yeah. I've just been trying to get him to drink some water, but he won't take it."

Lupin looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hm. How did Junior get sick in the first place?"

Mom told Lupin the whole story; my battle with Sephiroth, how Cloud had found the Geostigma, Cloud's promise to find a cure, and how I was rapidly growing weaker.

Lupin nodded, listening intently, then looked over to the glass which Mom had set back down on the end-table. If anyone could figure out why I wouldn't drink that water, then he could. I stared at him, silently pleading for him to tell my mother what I was too weak to explain.

Lupin glanced at me for a moment, then turned back to my mother. "Has he refused water before now?" the defense professor asked.

"No." my mom said. "He's been fine up until this morning. I don't know how fast Geostigma acts, but…"

Lupin looked as if he were concentrating for a moment, then his eyes lit up with inspiration, and he asked a question that I actually wanted to hear. "You said Junior was attacked by an enemy before the disease took effect." he restated, seeking clarification.

"Yes." Mom and I replied.

The Hogwarts professor walked over and picked up the glass from the end-table. "How long has this cup been unattended?" he inquired seriously.

Mom looked puzzled, wondering why Lupin would ask this question. "Let's see…" she said, trying to remember. "I filled Junior's water at about one in the morning." She answered.

"I see." Lupin said, turning back to me. "You're afraid someone may have done something to your water."

"Y-Yeah!" I stammered, smiling gratefully. At that moment, I wanted to give him all the Galleons in the wizard world.

"Well, there's an easy way to find out whether it's safe to drink or not." Lupin said, almost sounding as if he were teaching his class. "This spell will reveal an object's hidden properties."

He pulled out his wand and pointed it at my cup of water. "Specialis Revelio!" Lupin said calmly.

Immediately, the water turned from a sparkly clear to a sickly black color. Mom gasped in horror, and Lupin looked triumphant.

A second later, though, the tainted liquid reverted back to clear, leaving no trace of the blackness. No wonder the children at the spring had been enticed to drink so easily.

"Hm, your enemy has some very strong magic." Lupin remarked. "I don't know what the enchantment was intended to do or how to reverse it, but now you partially know what you're facing."

The wizard put the glass back on the end table again. "Who do you think might have done this?" Lupin asked.

"Seph… Seph…" I started, but I was too weak to finish the thought.

"Sephiroth." Mom answered for me, her voice full of disgust. She picked up the glass of tainted water again. "I'm so sorry, Junior. I thought you weren't drinking because you were feeling too weak. I didn't think…"

"It's… okay." I answered, smiling as reassuringly as I could.

"No it's not!" Mom said. "Who knows what he could have done to you."

My mom walked to the kitchen and set the cup of tainted water down on the counter. Since it now had properties from another world, pouring it down the sink wasn't an option. She would just have to wait until I could dispose of it properly.

Moments later, I heard the faucet running and my mother brought me a new cup of fresh water. After Lupin repeated his spell on this cup to assure me it was safe, I willingly drank, draining about half the glass before I collapsed on the pillow again.

"Well," Lupin said, clapping his hands together. "I'm afraid I have to return to Hogwarts now." I nodded, and the wizard walked up to the fireplace where the emerald flames still burned.

"Thank you so much." Mom said gratefully.

Lupin smiled. "You're welcome." He replied. He turned to me. "I hope your friend can find the cure he's searching for."

"Thanks." I whispered feebly.

"Bye!" Angel called from the table, and my magic defense professor stepped into the glowing, green flames and vanished from the room, transporting back to the wizard school.

My mom took a deep, calming breath as the emerald flames died down. Then she gasped as she looked at the clock. "Oh no! Angel! You've got to go! You're going to be late for school!" she exclaimed urgently.

Mom hurried to grab Angel's backpack, but my sister ran to my side. "I want to stay here and help take care of Junior!" Angel protested.

"I know." Mom said empathetically, pouring as much reassurance into these words as she could. "But I think Junior'll feel better knowing that you're safe at school. He'll be all right."

Angel looked into my eyes for a moment, and desperately grabbed onto my hand.

"I'm all right. I promise." I managed, straining to get the words out. "I'll be here when… you get home."

My sister still looked doubtful, but reluctantly, she took her backpack and walked out the door to head to the bus stop.

Mom closed the front door and turned to look at me. "She'll be all right." She reassured me. "Now, how about some bacon and eggs?"

After I had eaten all I could, I handed the dish back to my mother and did the only other thing I could do under the current circumstances; rest. The hours passed, but the strange thing was that my strength wasn't returning to me, not even in the slightest. It was then that I began to wonder if Sephiroth had done more last night than just poison my water.

That morning, I received visits from a few otherworldly friends. A flower witch left me an enchanted, white flower that emitted a relaxing scent. Cosmo and Wanda wished me up a gift basket with lots of candy. By far, my favorite had to be the giant, neon, get well card signed by Master and Crazy Hand and all the smashers in the mansion.

An hour or two later, I felt a gentle hand on my cheek. "Junior," my mother said softly. "I have to run to the store. Do you want me to bring you back anything?"

"No." I whispered, my lips barely moving.

"All right." Mom replied. "I should be back in an hour at most. Are you going to be all right here?"

"Mm-hm." I responded.

"Okay. See you later." Mom said. She bent down and kissed my forehead.

Mom was about to head out the front door, but then she slowly turned back to me, and I saw the tears start to form in her eyes.

Seeing that I was looking, Mom hurriedly blinked them away. "Keep fighting." she whispered, and hastily turned to leave.

When I heard the door close, I pondered on my mom's last words. I was trying my best to keep going, but it seemed like I was fighting a losing battle. I was losing more and more strength by the hour. I hadn't heard anything at all on Cloud's whereabouts, and Sephiroth had almost succeed in taking over my mind.

These thoughts rolled around in my head, which only added to the strain I was feeling, but I couldn't just let them go. They just kept coming back, and I almost couldn't take it anymore!

Then, as if I hadn't already been through enough, Geostigma struck again, and this time was the most painful yet. Unlike last night, I had not been carried to the realm of dreams, but instead, was swept away in my memories.

 **A/N: Things are getting worse. Will Sephiroth strike again? And what did Geostigma make Junior see this time?**

 **Feel free to leave a review, and thanks for reading!**

 **If you want to read more of Junior's and Anti-Junior's adventures, feel free to visit my profile!**


	7. Foes and Flashbacks

**A/N: Hi, guys! Welcome to chapter seven! For those of you still reading, thanks so much! Here we go!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my original characters.**

"Welcome, Junior!" Master Hand's voice greeted as I stumbled breathlessly into the transport room. "Are you ready for your next match?"

"Yes! Bring it on!" I answered eagerly.

Master Hand hovered closer to me, then spoke. "You've been doing well in the tournament so far." He praised.

I smiled proudly, appreciating the hand's complement. I had already fought battles against Dr. Mario, Meta Knight, and Samus. All three fights were close, but I came out as the victor. I had to be careful, though, otherwise this next match would not end as favorably.

"Your next combatant should be here- Oh, right now!" Master Hand exclaimed, impressed by the smasher's timing. I turned to the door, my heart thudding rapidly. A tall, blonde, warrior entered the room and I gasped in surprise. Cloud!

The swordsman glanced at me, gave a determined nod, then gazed into the electric blue portal in front of us. I noticed his brief look of surprise and recognition, but if he was nervous to face me, Cloud didn't show it.

I swallowed, trying to suppress my anxiety. My last three matches had been against opponents who I had faced before, so I knew what to expect from them. But, Cloud was a totally different story. Though I had observed brief periods of his other battles, there was no predicting what this elite blonde soldier was truly capable of.

"Are you guys ready?" Master Hand asked, motioning to the swirling, blue, vortex before us.

Cloud and I nodded solemnly.

"All right." Master Hand said, explaining the rules of our battle. "This is a For Glory smash. You will fight on 75m with two lives. The only item allowed is the Smash Ball, and the timer is set at five minutes."

I took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to calm my nerves. Well, at least the arena would be flat, and I didn't have to worry about potential hazards that would get in the way of our battle.

"Good luck." I said quietly, smiling at the blonde warrior.

Cloud ignored me. He looked somewhat distant, as if something was preoccupying his thoughts.

"Let the battle begin!" Master Hand boomed, and Cloud and I rushed through the glowing portal.

The electric blue light engulfed us in a jolt of tingly static, and moments later, I landed on a red and orange platform floating above a black void.

Cloud landed across the arena from me. He took a fighting stance and raised his sword, his sharp gaze fixed directly on me. His mouth was a thin line and his narrowed, blue eyes radiated with intimidation, further increasing my uneasiness.

"Three… Two… One… GO!" Master Hand's voice announced, and before I had time to collect myself, the fighting commenced.

The first attacks were launched and I was already reeling. I shouldn't have been as nervous as I was. I had battled opponents just as tough with way more than a few tournament points at stake. This fight should have been fun compared to some of my more life threatening challenges.

Cloud fired a green beam from his sword, I sidestepped the blast and launched a burst of flame at Cloud. The swordsman took the hit, but, within seconds, he was practically on top of me!

Cloud performed a flurry of sword slashes, but I shielded against all of them. I hit him with an energy beam, then tried to grab him, but the warrior was quick. He eluded my grasp and swung his sword. I put up my shield a second time, which immediately proved to be a big mistake.

Three swift, powerful, strikes later, my energy shield shattered. "Oohh…" I moaned, painfully dizzy and blinded by the bright explosion. Points of light danced in my eyes. I blinked furiously and shook my head, trying to clear it.

Dazed and disoriented, I braced myself for Cloud's next attack, one that was sure to cost me the first round. Based on what I had seen so far, Cloud was not one to let my broken shield go unpunished.

But, Cloud didn't attack me right away, and it wasn't until I looked up that I found out why. I looked straight ahead and caught a glimpse of the iridescent, multi-colored orb floating a few feet away from me. A Smash Ball!

A loud crack resounded through the air as Cloud struck the glowing orb with his sword, breaking it. To top it off, when the swordsman landed, he was in the perfect position to attack me. I didn't stand a chance against the power of the Smash Ball.

"Farewell." Cloud said, and charged at me, glowing with a vibrant, blue energy. His first sword strike launched me up into the air. Each blow that followed was just as powerful and disorienting as the first. I gritted my teeth and crossed my arms over my heart as the soldier struck again and again. Finally, Cloud ended with an explosive smash that sent me flying out of bounds!

I couldn't believe what had just happened! I was still shaken up when the white recovery platform brought me back to the stage again. "What was that?" I demanded, staring wide-eyed at the soldier

Cloud joined the fray again, but didn't answer. He distanced himself from the edge of the arena and looked up expectantly at me, his fusion blade at the ready.

In his other battles, Cloud would at least appear to be enjoying the fight. Though he didn't smile, he would engage in at least a little playful banter. But now, he was completely serious, as if nothing could detour his focus.

I jumped down from the recovery platform and hurled myself at Cloud, my heart pounding. The warrior readied his shield, but I reached through the energy bubble and grabbed him.

There were many things about Cloud that were still unpredictable, but one thing I had learned to anticipate was his recovery move. After zapping him with a few jolts of lightning, I threw Cloud off the arena, which was easy thanks to my position and his accumulated damage.

Just as I thought, Cloud waited until he was close enough to the edge before ascending upward with a thrust of his sword. I quickly jumped off the platform and fired an energy blast, stopping the soldier's ascent and sending him falling downward into the void.

"Aahh!" Cloud screamed as he was caught by the recovery light. I kicked off in the air and launched upward to the arena just as Cloud reappeared on a glowing platform. Now we were even.

The rest of the battle was a blur to me. Both of us were dashing and darting around each other. When we'd manage to land a hit, we'd usually follow up with a chain attack before either of us could get lucky enough to evade the other.

Within a short time, both of us had sustained heavy damage. One more hit would knock either of us out. To add to the pressure, time was almost up. I was afraid I would lose the little composure I had left if we went into a sudden death round.

Cloud lunged towards me, now surrounded by that bright blue glow. He released his limit break energy in a cross-slash with his mystic sword. I rolled backwards, barely avoiding the attack.

Concentrating hard, I shot a burst of fire to block Cloud's way, but the skilled soldier jumped over it and followed up with a downward assault.

I rolled away in the nick of time and fired an energy blast at Cloud, but the swordsman countered with a blade beam of his own. Then, simultaneously, both of us dashed forward, going on the offensive.

My energy beam hit Cloud's shoulder just as his sword struck my chest, and we both went flying! However, Cloud had hit me a little harder. "No!" I pleaded in my mind, my jaw clenched. But, it was no use. Though Cloud had been seconds away from going out of bounds, the recovery beam snatched me up first, ending the match.

Moments later, we had been transported to the winner's pavilion, arriving to a roar of cheers and noisy applause.

"No hard feelings!" Cloud reassured as he twirled his fusion blade in the air and rested it across his shoulders. I was amazed. His skills on the battlefield were impressive. I had battled many swordsmen, but Cloud was one of the best I'd fought.

As I clapped for the victor of our battle, a sudden thought popped into my head. Well, it was more of a revelation. Cloud was meant to help me defend the cosmos. I even wondered if he was the light keeper for his universe, the one intended to guard the secret of my power and help me become acquainted to his world.

A warm feeling spread through my body, as if the light in my heart were confirming my assumption. But, how was I going to know for sure?

The blue portal leading back to the mansion had appeared and Cloud already stepped through it. I hurriedly threw myself into the blue light, teleporting back to the transport room.

I was acting on almost an impulse, but if I wanted to find out if my thoughts were correct, I had to act now. Cloud had already left the room and proceeded down the hallway. I couldn't believe I was about to do this.

I hurried out into the hall in pursuit of Cloud. The blonde warrior had almost reached the other end of the corridor, moving quickly.

"Cloud!" I called after him, almost running to close the distance between us. The soldier came to a stop and reluctantly turned around, though he kind of looked like he wanted to keep moving.

"Good match!" I congratulated nervously when I had caught up to him.

Cloud nodded slightly, but he had an inquiring look in his eyes, as if he knew that this wasn't all I wanted to say.

We stood there silently for a moment. I took a deep breath and steeled myself for the question I was going to ask. But where was I going to start? Cloud wasn't going to wait forever.

Finally, I just decided to come right out with it. He already knew about my ability to travel to other worlds, so hopefully this wouldn't sound too crazy.

"Will you help me protect the cosmos?" I asked, trying to get the words out without stumbling over them.

Cloud looked at me for a long moment. He didn't seem surprised by the question or want an explanation. Something told me that Cloud had expected this question to come up, and that he had already predetermined his answer.

"Not interested." He said bluntly.

My proposed request could possibly determine the fate of many people in the multiverse, but Cloud had answered as if I were only asking him for a rematch on the battlefield.

"What? Wh-why not?" I asked, taken aback.

Cloud hesitated for a moment, as if at a loss for what to say. "Because I don't feel like it." The soldier responded. He seemed so unconcerned that I almost wondered if he was joking, and yet, there was a stiffness in his voice that gave me the ominous, sinking feeling that he was completely serious.

The soldier's firm gaze was cold and distant. His hardened blue eyes were devoid of warmth or empathy, as if the universe didn't matter to him. That image had burned itself into my mind, but was it really what was in Cloud's heart?

Cloud turned and walked away, leaving me gaping in shock. I felt a crushing weight of despair build up inside of me, and wanted to call out to him again.

A cry of anguish broke the silence, and moments later, I awoke to find myself back in my living room, and that the sound had issued from my own mouth.

I had fought that tournament battle and re-experienced that conversation a dozen times in my memory, but never this strongly. Though the recurrence had ended, the despair lingered with me, growing more abundant. What if Cloud's feelings hadn't changed since that fateful battle? What if he really did abandon me?

Tears stung my eyes, threatening to spill over. I blinked them away furiously, but I couldn't get rid of the heartache I felt. I tried to push the thoughts out of my mind, but my persistent doubt was winning that battle.

My left hand was throbbing dully. Mom or Angel didn't seem to be back yet. I was as alone on the outside as I felt on the inside. The living room was quiet, except for the hypnotic ticking of the clock on the wall. However, as I lay there in the silence, I had the distinct feeling that someone was watching me.

Maybe it was someone from another world. Or, maybe I was still hallucinating. But since I could feel their presence only a few feet away, I figured I couldn't be imagining them.

I waited in the gloomy silence, wondering if the visitor would conclude that I was asleep and go away. I was completely still for what felt like a minute or two, and when the figure didn't leave, I began to wonder why they hadn't made themselves known yet.

It was then that I noticed a negative, eerie energy in the air. Though I didn't have my powers, I could still sometimes tell the difference between good and evil magical energy if it was strong enough.

Hesitantly, I opened my eyes, unsure of who or what I would find. At first, I saw the dark shadow of a human, but as my eyes adjusted and my vision cleared, Sephiroth's silver hair and long, mystic sword became more recognizable, and fear began to creep up on me.

"Please let me be hallucinating…" I begged over and over in my head. "Please let this just be a nightmare." But, the menacing gleam in his eyes and the sound of his slow, heavy footsteps on the tile floor as he approached proved that my hopes were in vain.

A feeling of dread struck like a bolt of lightning on a clear day. No! He couldn't be back! Not again! Not now!

Sephiroth stood at arm's length, close enough to where I could feel the powerful dark energy inside of him. His cold, emotionless gaze held me in place, though Geostigma was doing a pretty good job at that already.

"We meet again." He said, speaking in that sinister, level voice that sent shivers down my spine. "Only this time, you don't have your light to protect you."

I clenched my fists and teeth to try to stop my body from trembling. It was all I could do to keep myself from completely losing it. I was in deep trouble, and the only thing that would give me a fighting chance against Sephiroth was in another universe altogether.

"Your light… Where is it?" Sephiroth demanded, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I couldn't bring myself to say anything. One desperate plea screamed in my mind, more prominent than any thought, overriding any sense of reason. "Cloud! Help me!"

Suddenly, Sephiroth gripped my shoulders and lifted me up to eye level, displeased with my delay. "Well?" the evil swordsman pressed, his emotionless, unwavering, gaze like steel.

"N-Not… h-here." I stammered weakly, trying to avoid his penetrating glare. I was almost glad this was true. At least the silver haired man wouldn't be getting what he wanted from me.

For a moment, I feared Sephiroth would take out his frustration with a destructive blast of magic, but he seemed satisfied for now. "I see." He said, releasing his iron grip. However, I knew that the only reason why the evil swordsman hadn't attacked me yet is because he still had some questions for me.

"What's Cloud doing?" Sephiroth inquired. My breath caught in my throat. Did the evil swordsman suspect that Cloud still had my power light? What would he do then? By the gleam in Sephiroth's eye, I had a feeling that if I answered this question, our conversation would be over.

I took a few short, shaky, breaths, but remained silent, not that I had the strength to talk anyway. I glanced up at the silver haired man, then down at the configuration of black spots on my left hand. Within the next few minutes, one of these evils was going to finish me off, no matter how I looked at it.

But, what about everyone that I was trying to protect? What about my mom? And my sister? And my friends? I couldn't let them down! This wasn't fair! There had to be another way out of this! There had to be!

Suddenly, the room was filled with a burst of bright light energy! A powerful aura circulated through the room, as if it was carried by a rushing wind. The pure, calming, energy was more than recognizable. It belonged to me!

A figure materialized in the illumination and I gasped, my lungs filling with happiness as well as air. It was as if a sudden ray of sunlight burst through a veil of the darkest shadows, and though my body was weak, my spirit was soaring!

It didn't matter that he said he wasn't interested in helping me. It didn't matter what difficult obstacles or fearsome enemies he had to face. The assistance I had been pleading for for the past twenty-four hours had arrived, astoundingly, in the form of a selfless blonde soldier.

 **A/N: Whew! There's chapter seven! Just two more to go!**

 **Does anyone by chance know what Cloud says when he starts his Final Smash in the game? I've been trying to find an english translation.**


	8. Keep Fighting

**A/N: Hi, guys! Sorry for the extremely long wait, but I had schoolwork and writer's block to power through. Well, here's chapter eight…**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my original characters.**

"Good to see you, Cloud." Sephiroth said menacingly, raising his long sword as if he anticipated, or rather hungered for, conflict.

Cloud narrowed his eyes in frustration. "Sephiroth, what do you want?" he asked impatiently.

"The minds and wills of Geostigma's victims." Sephiroth answered, the calmness in his voice magnifying the terror I felt. "These will enter the lifestream and engulf our planet, corrupting it. What I want, Cloud, is to sail the darkness of the cosmos with our planet as my vessel. Then one day, we'll find a new planet, and on its soil we'll create a shining future."

An aura of evil magic surrounded Sephiroth as he spoke again, and his next words filled me with more terror and dread than the last twenty-four hours combined. "This world will suffice."

My eyes widened in horror. If I heard correctly, Sephiroth was going to use Cloud's planet to attack my planet! Two worlds needed me and I couldn't help them. Not only was I incapable of defending myself, but now everyone on this, and another world, was in danger, too. I definitely didn't want to know what plans the evil swordsman had for the 'shining' future he wanted to create.

"What about our planet?" Cloud asked rebelliously, inquiring about his world's future.

"Well, that's up to you, Cloud." Sephiroth answered. Then, the silver haired man pointed his blade in my direction. "Just as this child's fate has been."

Cloud winced slightly. "What do you want with him?" the warrior demanded, his temper rising.

"I want his vast knowledge of other worlds. I will conquer every corner of the cosmos by exploiting each planet's weaknesses. With his power at my disposal, I will ensure that no one opposes me. Haven't you wondered why his Geostigma has acted significantly faster than the others'?" Cloud glanced over at me, then glared back at his enemy, who continued speaking. "I've been advancing its progress exponentially. Now this child's mind is too weak to put up any resistance against me."

"So, you tainted the Materia during our battle at Midgar."

"Correct. I hoped the child would be the one to claim it, and you failed to stop him."

"How'd you even find out about his light?"

"Hm," Sephiroth laughed with wicked pleasure, "You told me, Cloud, through your memories. Whether or not you wanted to, your mind showed me everything I needed. However, you needn't be concerned with him. This conflict is between us. Isn't that right?"

Quick as a flash, Cloud drew his Fusion Blade, the anger boiling inside of him. "It ends here!" he declared resolutely, and charged towards his adversary.

Moments later, the fierce clanking of their blades filled the air. Part of me was impressed with how the warriors handled themselves in these closed quarters, particularly Sephiroth with his long blade. I desperately hoped my powers would be enough to help Cloud defeat him.

"Oh, where did you find this strength?" Sephiroth asked after Cloud dealt a strike that sent him crashing into a wall. He didn't sound intimidated, but somewhat intrigued.

"I'm not about to tell you!" Cloud retorted, charging forward and firing off a green blade beam at Sephiroth's head.

Sephiroth deflected the beam with his sword and leapt at Cloud. Cloud ducked away from his blade, but the silver haired man changed direction so fast that Cloud couldn't evade the attack that followed.

"Ugh!" Cloud grunted as he doubled over in pain from the blow to his shoulder. His left arm slammed against the piano, which emitted a sour collection of base notes. Wincing from the pain in his elbow and wrist, Cloud stood again and lunged at Sephiroth.

At first, the soldier made as if to attack with his Fusion Blade, but then, his body radiated with my white energy, and he unleashed a powerful beam that knocked Sephiroth against the front door.

Sephiroth quickly recovered, raised his sword, and rocketed towards Cloud, dealing a flurry of blows to Cloud's upper body. The blonde swordsman fell to the ground, momentarily dazed.

"The child's power won't save you, Cloud." Sephiroth declared, his voice cold as ice. He turned in my direction. "I'll make sure of it."

"No!" Cloud sputtered, gasping for breath.

Sephiroth stepped to his right to avoid another blast of white energy and glared down at his fallen opponent. "That last bit of light is always the hardest to extinguish." He said.

Breathing hard, Cloud shakily got to his feet. "At least I know how to use it!" the soldier shot back, and stormed at Sephiroth.

With tremendous strength and speed granted to him by my powers, Cloud slammed into his adversary. Sephiroth skidded backwards down the hall, colliding with the game cabinet! There was a thunderous crash as the contents spilled out and the evil swordsman was momentarily buried under various falling debris.

Before I knew it, Cloud was standing over me. He placed his hands on my heart, his body trembling as if his life depended on his next actions. His eyes anxiously darted back and forth as he desperately willed himself to accomplish a task known only to him.

Suddenly, a warm, familiar energy entered my heart. Light spread through my whole body, and I knew that Cloud had just returned my cosmic power to me.

"You need it more than I do." Cloud acknowledged, his vibrant eyes resting on me for a moment. Then, he vaulted over the couch just in time to counter Sephiroth's next sword strike.

Cloud's words replayed in my mind, and I began to wonder if there was something more to his motives concerning this fight. At first, it seemed that he had only come to my world to engage Sephiroth, but something more showed through his eyes the brief moment he glanced at me. Was I more than just a nameless kid he was fighting to save? Did he actually care about me as a person? If so, then why had he been acting so cold before now?

I welcomed the new energy flowing through my body, and embraced the restored connection to the other worlds in the cosmos, particularly to my mentor.

Our telepathic link restored, Akaela's voice echoed through my mind, and I was as relieved as ever to hear it. "Good! Your powers have returned." She said, sounding pleased.

Thoughts and questions exploded like fireworks in my head. Now that I was able to talk to her, I wanted to scream; to tell her my frustrations, my fears,… and the joy I now felt in recognizing that I was no longer completely lost, knowing that she would listen.

But, I knew that there would be time for that later, so I only asked the most prominent questions in my mind. "Why didn't you let my powers come back sooner?" I asked telepathically.

"To keep them from Sephiroth." Akaela answered. "Had your light been in your heart when Sephiroth had arrived, he wouldn't have wasted time asking questions."

I knew, by the clanging metal of the two warriors' swords, that the heated battle was still going on, but I had to ask one more question. "Akaela. Why did my powers re-enter Cloud's heart when he tried to return them to me?"

There was silence for a moment, as if Akaela was thinking. "Sometimes your power light does what it wants. Cloud- well, maybe your light was what he needed at the time…"

"What he needed?" I wondered, perplexed. Just what struggles was the elite soldier going through? And was there anything I could do to assist him just as he was assisting me?

I was called back to attention when Akaela spoke again. "Your powers can fight off the disease for a few minutes. Use that time to help Cloud defeat Sephiroth."

I regarded the energy of the powerful sphere inside my heart for a moment. Cosmic energy circulated all around me, and as long as Sephiroth didn't know I had it back, I could quietly gather my strength and assist Cloud in defeating him.

The battle raged on, both swordsman determined to keep fighting, their resolve unshakable. Sephiroth swung his blade at Cloud, who parried and countered with a flurry of swift blows to the enemy's body.

"You've already lost faith in the child's cosmic power?" Sephiroth asked, dodging most of Cloud's sword slashes.

"This is the only weapon I need." Cloud shot back, leaping in the air to strike again.

However, Sephiroth directed some dark energy into his blade at the last second. "Accept it." He said when their swords collided. "You've fallen so deep into the darkness that nothing can save you." The evil warrior then flung the blonde soldier backwards, knocking the wind out of him momentarily.

"Yeah, you're one to talk." Cloud muttered sarcastically, picking himself up and readying his Fusion Blade once more.

Unfortunately, things took a drastic turn for the worse. Sephiroth shot a dark beam from his sword and Cloud staggered backwards to evade it. "Dodge this!" Sephiroth challenged. With all the force of a massive boulder, the silver haired man hit Cloud with a side strike that knocked him across the room!

The blonde swordsman crashed full force into the kitchen table, and it was then that I heard the shattering of glass and a splash as liquid burst free from its confines and onto the floor.

"No!" Cloud clipped through clenched teeth. For a moment, I thought Cloud had just lost a couple of healing potions, but by the distressed and angry way the word escaped his throat, I had the feeling that it was something more.

"Your Geostigma may be gone, but you are now unable to do anything for his." Sephiroth taunted. "You are unable to help him, just as you were unable to protect your companions. You've failed."

Cloud grasped his Fusion Blade tighter and tried to move, but the pain was too much for him. Sephiroth advanced closer to the fallen soldier, and his previous words pounded against my skull like a drum. "You failed… You failed… You failed…"

The evil swordsman's blade now hung over Cloud, and Sephiroth was going to let it fall at any moment. If I was going to help Cloud, I had to act now. Sephiroth stared down at the blonde soldier with cold, remorseless eyes, and pulled back his arm to swing.

"Stop!" I screamed in terror. Light energy burs from my heart as I threw myself in Sephiroth's path, blocking his sword strike with a silver magic barrier. With all my strength, I propelled the energy forward, launching Sephiroth backwards into the wall.

My heart pounded and my body trembled as I realized what I had just done. I tried to calm my nerves to focus on avoiding Sephiroth's next attack, which would surely be directed towards me.

The silver haired man didn't disappoint. He rose to his feet and swung his long blade as fast as lightning! I gasped and jumped back to dodge it. I felt a rush of wind as the blade swished past my head, barely missing me.

I knew I wouldn't be able to hold Sephiroth off for long, but I had to do something to help Cloud and protect my powers from falling into Sephiroth's hands. Trembling, I launched an energy beam, striking the enemy a second time.

Suddenly, Sephiroth lunged forward and retaliated with another sword strike. I cringed and threw myself to the ground, not sure if I would be able to rise again. The chills that preceded a Geostigmatic blackout rushed through me, and my body now felt as heavy as stone.

Every second counted, and I couldn't stop fighting, even for a moment. Though it felt like lifting the sky, I managed to stand again. Points of light danced across my vision as I took aim at the enemy on the other side of the room.

"Just one more…" I begged inwardly, trying to withstand my dizziness to keep from falling. My hands shook violently as I drew the light together for a third attack. However, I wasn't quick enough in launching it.

"That's enough," Sephiroth declared. A moment later, pain shot through my body as his dark energy blast struck me in the heart. I fell to the ground, my strength sapped, now completely vulnerable.

"Cloud!" I choked out, desperately hoping he'd be all right, while frantically pleading for his help. "Cloud-"

"Cannot save you." Sephiroth reprimanded. He turned his attention to the soldier, staring down at his weakened opponent. He advanced forward, raised his sword, and brought it down for one final attack. But, Cloud had just barely managed to shift his position in the nick of time, and the evil warrior's sword touched down inches away from Cloud's left shoulder.

"Tell me what you cherish most." Sephiroth said sinisterly as their weapons clashed again. "Tell me so that I may have the pleasure of taking it away."

Cloud narrowed his eyes tightly, straining with all his might to hold Sephiroth back. He was shaking with the effort, his jaw locked. Sephiroth forced his blade closer, focused solely on him.

Cloud pushed with both hands, trying to keep Sephiroth's sword as far away as possible, but the fire in his eyes had gone out, as if he had lost the will to continue the battle.

I turned my head in his direction, staring into his piercing blue eyes. Breathing had once again become a chore in itself. I didn't know how I found the strength to speak to him, but I whispered the same words my mom uttered before she left. "Keep… fighting…"

My voice was tiny compared to the other thoughts that were no doubt pounding against Cloud's skull, but the swordsman nodded, indicating he had heard me. If there really was something he cherished, he needed it to give him strength now more than ever.

After a moment or two, Cloud seemed to relax, as if he were remembering something pleasant. Then, he glared into Sephiroth's eyes with all the determination in the universe, and spoke, seeming to regain the energy lost from battle.

"I pity you." Cloud said, his voice elevating with every word. "You really don't get it at all." With impressive strength, he pushed against the evil swordsman's blade, and Sephiroth seemed taken aback. "There's not a thing I don't cherish!"

Cloud, now glowing with a vibrant blue aura, charged at Sephiroth, his blade raised. Sephiroth's astonishment kept him rooted to the spot, unable to avoid the barrage of powerful slashes from the Fusion Blade. The fire in Cloud's eyes shone brighter than ever before as he struck again and again, determined to put an end to Sephiroth's threat. Finally, the soldier concluded with a devastating hit to Sephiroth's body, and the silver haired man fell to the ground.

"Stay where you belong, Sephiroth… In my memories." Cloud commanded boldly.

Sephiroth gripped his blade firmly and tried to stand again, but this proved to be a challenge. "I will never… be a memory…" the evil swordsman said, slowly and unsteadily rising to his feet. As he spoke, however, his voice became echoic and distant, and our enemy's body faded into nothingness.

"…He's… gone…" I whispered joyfully, having felt the evil in the room disappear. Thanks to Cloud, a heavy weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. At least now other worlds wouldn't have to fear Sephiroth's malevolence. But, the weakness Geostigma inflicted had taken over again, and now, after all the trouble of defeating Sephiroth, the illness seemed as if it would overpower me for good this time.

What was I going to do? I had already spent the strength granted me by my powers, and now I was just as weak as when Sephiroth first arrived; helpless, powerless, having to rely on the aid of one who may or may not care. Did Cloud even have a cure for me?

Out of breath and exhausted from battle, Cloud sheathed his Fusion Blade and gazed at the glass fragments and puddle of water on the floor, somewhat crestfallen. It was then that I knew, with a sinking feeling, that Cloud had indeed found a cure for my Geostigma, and Sephiroth had succeeded in destroying it.

The soldier turned and gazed down at me with a strained expression, his mouth tight as if contemplating an important decision.

I looked up at Cloud, trying to find the meaning in his vague, emotionless eyes. If he didn't care about me or the cosmos, then why had he done all of this? Why had he fought so hard against Sephiroth? Why had he promised to find a cure for my Geostigma? Had I been misreading the soldier this whole time? If there truly wasn't a thing he did not cherish, why did he seem so detached from everything?

Cloud, the warrior hardened from battle whose eyes had been nothing but icy and daunting, the soldier who never smiled or seemed to feel any closeness to the world, knelt next to me.

I had to know if that unsympathetic, detached person was the real Cloud, and I had to know now. I opened my mouth to speak, but only a few unconnected words passed my lips. "Cloud… you… care…?"

But, the soldier wouldn't hear it. "No. Stop." Cloud said, shaking his head and pressing a finger to my lips, his voice agitated, yet urgent. Disheartened, I settled down again and was silent, but Cloud helped me sit up, putting his arm around my shoulders.

Cloud glanced at me, then at the puddle of water on the floor where the glass had shattered during the battle, the nodded as if something had been confirmed in his mind. "Mm… There's no other way." He whispered gravely.

Fear ran through me like a river, encompassing every corner of my mind. Did Cloud not have any other way of healing the disease? Was it seriously too late? If only he had been allowed a few more seconds when returning my powers to me… If only he had been able to cure me then.

Suddenly, Cloud stood, and I was lifted to my feet. What was he doing? Seeming somewhat hesitant, the blonde warrior narrowed his eyes and his body tensed up in concentration. His blue light energy surrounded him, as if he were going to leave my world. But he didn't look as if he had lost hope. In fact, his eyes gleamed with determination, as if he wouldn't give up, almost as if he couldn't give up.

I didn't want to quit, either, but unfortunately, my body had its limits, and it was taking every ounce of my strength not to be overwhelmed by Cloud's blue energy. Maybe that was why Cloud was reluctant to try what was on his mind.

My legs now felt about as stable as Jell-O, and Cloud had to catch me to keep me from collapsing and passing out altogether.

"Hey! Hold on!" Cloud whispered urgently, pouring his will into his words. But, no matter how hard I forced myself to stay awake, my eyes became heavy and my head felt light. My vision became blurry, and haze clouded my thoughts, as if my mind was falling through a fog.

"Hold on." I heard him say again, only this time, his voice faded in and out. It was like when Sephiroth vanished from my world, but this time I was the one fading away. The last thing I felt was the warmth of the energy Cloud mustered as it surrounded me, and I allowed myself to be carried away in the light.

 **A/N: Well, well… what is our favorite blonde soldier up to? Will Junior get better? Or will it be too late?**

 **Just one more chapter to go. If you like this story, be on the lookout for another one called Breaking My Limits… Coming soon!**


	9. Sanctuary

**A/N: Okay! Here we go… The last chapter! For those of you have favorited, followed, or reviewed this story, thanks so much!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my original characters.**

For a brief period, I didn't know what was going on. I was pretty sure I had blacked out when Cloud had lifted me. Now I found that I was laying on my back and his energy was missing altogether. However, I wasn't alone. I sense someone near me and my eyes fluttered open. To my surprise, a lady now stood in front of me, silhouetted by an expanse of white, cloudy, mist.

"Mom?" I mumbled groggily, blinking to focus my vision. It felt like something was missing, and it only took me a few seconds to realize that the heaviness in my body was completely gone. I stood easily, feeling as light as a feather, and faced the woman. It was then that I realized that I was mistaken as to who she was.

This girl had long, dark brown hair done up in a braid tied with a pink ribbon. Her gentle eyes were round, and green like emeralds. She wore a pink and white dress, a short, red jacket that was open in the front, and two silver bracelets. She seemed to radiate both power and peace, and part of me wondered if she was some kind of angel or other magical being.

"Again? Why is everyone calling me their mother lately?" the woman asked, an amused smile lighting up her face.

"Sorry." I said, thinking that must have been the Geostigma talking, but when I glanced down at my left hand, the black spots were gone! Questions bubbled over in my mind and I hoped the lady would do me the kindness of answering at least some of them. "Who are you?" I asked curiously.

"I'm Aerith." The lady answered cheerfully, her voice soft and sweet like syrup, offering comfort with each word spoken. "And I already know who you are." She finished. I blinked in confusion, wondering how that could be… Unless she was like Cloud… someone forewarned about my identity and the power I wielded.

I looked down at the ground momentarily, trying to think of what to say, when something caught my eye. I couldn't help but notice that little yellow flowers were blooming all around Aerith's feet, as if we were standing in a field. They seemed to complete the feeling of peace she brought with her, as if they were an extension of her spirit.

Realizing Aerith was waiting for me to say something, I tore my eyes away from the yellow blossoms and looked around at the expanse of pure white that seemed to stretch on forever. A question came to mind, but it was horrifying to think about. Instead, I asked another question. "Where… am I?"

The woman's gentle, green, eyes gazed softly down at me, sparkling like little jewels. "You're in the Lifestream." she answered pleasantly.

"The Lifestream?" I muttered, puzzled, remembering that both Cloud and Sephiroth had mentioned something like that at some point. I leaned forward, my interest peaked, hoping she'd tell me more.

"Yes." Aerith said with a nod. "This is the where all living things come when their time on Gaia comes to an end."

Gaia? That definitely wasn't part of my world. Had Cloud managed to take me to his world before I blacked out? And if so, then where was he now?

Thinking about all of this only further reinforced the answer to the question that I was afraid to ask, but I had to know for sure before I started panicking. "Am I… Did I…?" I started, but the words seemed to trip as they passed my lips, and I couldn't bring myself to finish.

Luckily, the flower girl seemed to know what I was asking. "Don't worry. This isn't a permanent trip." She replied gently. "In fact, your time on Gaia has only just begun. Your friend, the one who shares your light, brought your soul here briefly so that your body could handle Cloud's teleportation."

That was a relief, not that I understood what she meant completely. All I knew was that I couldn't allow myself to quit on all the worlds who needed my help. If Anti-Junior had somehow brought me here, he must have been working pretty hard protecting other worlds to have not done more than that. I had to rejoin him as soon as possible.

"Where's Cloud?" I wondered. "He was supposed to be helping me."

Aerith looked at me, her eyes filled with compassion, and I almost wondered if she could see into my soul. "Don't worry! He'll come around." She reassured.

Then, slowly, steadily, Aerith and the swirling clouds of white began to fade away, and the empty silence was replaced with a new sound; the faint splash of water as it swished and bubbled merrily nearby. Unfortunately, the dead tiredness and dizziness of Geostigma returned as well, my few moments of freedom from the disease having expired. But, as my other senses aroused, I realized that Cloud was now half carrying me, and I was indeed on a new world altogether.

I opened my eyes and found that we were in some sort of sanctuary, and though the place looked like it had seen better days, everything was so peaceful here. The warm sun beamed through a large hole in the roof, and flowers bloomed, bathed in the sun's warm light. The sound of the rippling liquid echoed off of the walls, and I noticed that sparkling water had collected in a pool in the flower bed. Was this peaceful place part of Cloud's world?

Suddenly, a little girl's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Welcome back!" she greeted Cloud, her blue eyes shining at the return of the blonde soldier. The girl couldn't have been more than six or seven years old, and she looked sort of like Aerith. Her brown braided hair was tied with a pink ribbon similar to the flower girl's, and she wore a white and yellow dress.

Cloud regarded her for a moment, then continued walking to where two other people stood waiting near the pool of water. "I'm back." He informed with quiet triumph in his voice.

A woman with a white shirt, black vest, and black shorts hurried up to us, her waist length brown hair blowing slightly in the breeze from outside. Beside her stood a boy about my age with sandy brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a green button-down shirt and dark jeans. They both seemed as if they had been waiting for Cloud's return as well.

"Is this that kid from another world?" the lady asked, giving me a pleasant smile. She seemed like the kind of person who's warmth and cheerfulness could break through anyone's mental or emotional walls, including Cloud's, to a certain extent

"Yeah." The soldier answered, nodding, and I wondered if he had told her about me previously.

The woman must have seen my uncertain expression because she leaned down and spoke to me. "It's okay." She said reassuringly, a nurturing smile on her face. "I'm Tifa, by the way." She introduced. "This is Marline," Tifa said, pointing to the little girl. "And Denzel." She motioned to the boy.

Something inside told me that I could trust her, so I relaxed a little. "Mm…" I said quietly, nodding slightly, which was all I could manage at the moment.

Denzel looked down at me, his eyes resting on the black spots on my hand. "You have it, too?" he asked empathetically.

Marline, having seen this, gently touched my arm. "Does it hurt?" she asked, pointing to my hand. I wished I could tell her that it didn't, but I didn't think I had the strength to.

Tifa looked like she wanted to ask Cloud something else, but decided that it could wait for now, and offered an arm to help him support me.

"Last chance…" Cloud muttered, more to himself than me. "Let's get it right…"

Tifa and Cloud carried me towards the spring in the flower bed, the two kids jogging on either side and looking down at me with concern and comfort in their eyes.

"Don't worry." Marline said to me. "Cloud helped fix Denzel. He can help you feel better, too!"

Denzel nodded, glancing up at Cloud as if he were his hero. I wondered if he had been one of the kids at the spring in my dream. If Cloud had cured him, then had he already cured the other children, too?

We made it to the edge of the pool of water, which sloshed and rippled energetically, as if inviting us to come nearer. Cloud walked forward, disrupting the water ever so slightly as he stepped into the shallow pool. Tifa and the kids edged closer, watching with anticipation and curiosity.

Cloud bent down, reached into the water, and brought out some of the clear, sparkling, liquid into his cupped hands. Some of the excess water trickled back into the pool as he brought it to me, but he still moved slowly and carefully, trying to save as much of the precious liquid as possible.

I stared down at the black spots on my hand for a moment. Would they really go away? Would this disease that had caused me so much misery finally be gone?

"Come on. I'm here." Cloud's gentle voice brought me out of my thoughts. Slowly, trembling, I held out my left hand. I closed my eyes as Cloud gingerly placed both his hands around mine, completely submerging it in the water he had gathered.

The water felt cool and tingly, like liquid energy. Within a second, the bubbly water became warm, as if my hand were resting in a hot spring. Before I knew it, the water wasn't water anymore, but it felt as if it had been changed into actual magic. The warm feeling shot up my arm and spread through my entire body. "Huh?" I breathed as I felt my strength returning, particularly when the magic reached my heart. It was as if I had been frozen and the warm sun was melting the ice.

Cloud slowly let go of my hand and the water's magic faded, but the warm feeling remained. I hesitated, then lifted my hand and examined it. At first, I couldn't believe my eyes, but oh, what an amazing sight! The dark spots had vanished completely without a trace, and my hand was restored like new.

I broke into a grin, my joy about to burst like a fountain! Geostigma's plague was now nowhere to be found, and I felt like a new person. Finally, nothing was holding me down anymore, and I was free!

"It's gone!" Denzel observed, staring at my hand. "You're okay now, right?"

I took a moment to appreciate the fact that I had the energy to move again. This was too good to be true, but it felt too real to be a dream. "Yeah!" I exclaimed, baffled and ecstatic, as Tifa let go of me.

"Hurray!" Marline cried. "Since you're better, do you want to come play with us?"

"Oh, um…" I stammered, trying to think of a way to explain myself to these kids. As I thought, I tested the cosmic energy around me, expecting Anti-Junior to be dealing with some sort of trouble in the stars, but to my surprise, everything was perfectly calm.

I grinned, excitement building like a balloon inside of me. After being bound by Geostigma's chains, a little fun with other kids was just what I needed. I probably should have at least gone home and told my family I was all right, but running around in the fresh air and sunshine was just too tempting, at least for a few minutes, anyway. I didn't think my mom and Angel would be too worried. This wouldn't be the first time they came home to the house in shambles.

"Yes!" I cried eagerly, glad for this chance, and ran outside with Denzel and Marline.

"Be careful!" Tifa called after us as we exited the sanctuary. I made it outside and was greeted with the sun's warm embrace. The land around the sanctuary looked a little barren, but nothing could bring my spirits down at this moment.

"Tag!" Marline exclaimed, taking me out of my thoughts with a nudge in the arm. Then, she and Denzel ran away, laughing playfully. I smiled, and quickly joined in the game.

It didn't take me long to catch one of the two kids. "You're 'it'!" I cried, lightly slapping Denzel on the back, then running faster and faster, as if to leave any care in the world behind.

We had been playing for about ten minutes, and I was having a great time, when realization struck, putting a halt to our fun. "Oh no!" I exclaimed mentally, remembering something. I ran back towards the sanctuary, Denzel and Marline watching me go.

"Cloud?" I called out as I re-entered the building. Cloud and Tifa were still standing by the flower bed, their heads bent close to one another as if in deep conversation. At the mention of his name, the soldier looked up with a start.

The two kids lingered near the doorway, chattering excitedly to one another as I walked slowly up to Cloud. Taking a deep breath, I looked up at the blonde soldier. "Th-thank you." I stammered, barely able to speak.

Cloud looked surprised for a second, then nodded, gazing down at me, but, his eyes weren't the same cold, distant ones that I had stared into at the Smash mansion or any time after that. He seemed like a different person, as if he had been cured of some sort of sickness, too. I never knew that a warrior who seemed so hardened from battle and disconnected from the world could have this much compassion in his eyes.

The soldier was silent for a moment, as if willing himself to speak, but not finding the courage. He glanced over at Tifa, who flashed a reassuring smile, then sighed heavily and stared down at the ground for a moment. "I'm sorry." Cloud said quietly.

"Huh? For what?" I asked uncertainly. Why was he apologizing? He had just saved me! I stared, wide eyed and continued listening.

"For… not being there when you asked." Cloud shifted awkwardly as he tried to choose his words. "I didn't want you involved… but then Sephiroth… he… I should have done more! I should have prepared you…!" The words were spilling out of his mouth faster than he could select them, but then he stopped, took a deep breath, and voiced his next question. "Is that… request still open?"

"Request…?" I wondered, racking my brain to figure out what he meant. Wait… the only significant plea I had asked of Cloud was during the Smash tournament. "Oh, that one." I said solemnly.

I listened to the sounds of the gently bubbling spring and the kids' excited whispers echoing through the building, then hesitantly, nervously, voiced a question that was on my mind. "Why… did you refuse when I asked you before?"

Cloud's eyes rested on one of the yellow flowers near the water, as if it held the answer to my question. Then he spoke, his voice quiet and calm again. "I just thought… if I didn't show interest… then Sephiroth wouldn't, either." The pain was now visible in his eyes and his voice cracked as he continued. "People close to me… tend to get hurt… and I thought… if I kept my distance… then Sephiroth would stay away… that he wouldn't try to hurt you… That was a mistake."

At that second, clarity shot through me like a dart, but it took a while for it to sink in. Cloud had wanted to help me all along, and thought the best way of doing so was to keep his distance so Sephiroth wouldn't grow wise to the power I possessed.

But, my doubts concerning him were by no means extinguished. "You seemed… pretty upset when my power light wouldn't leave your heart, as if you didn't want anything to do with it… or me."

The soldier stood quietly, gathering his thoughts as if they were scattered puzzle pieces. "I just… It seemed too important for me to get involved with. I… didn't trust myself with that responsibility… But, now I realize… it's too important for me not to get involved." He stopped speaking, but his eyes had an inquiring look in them, as if to ask the question that his mouth could not.

I thought I knew what Cloud was getting at, and decided to answer his question with one of my own. "Cloud? Does this mean you'll help me protect the multiverse now?" I inquired, my heart pounding in anticipation of his answer.

The blonde warrior stared directly into my eyes for a long moment. "Yeah." He said, nodding firmly. I thought I was happy before, but at Cloud's reply, the fountain of joy inside me grew into a gushing river!

The light in my heart sparked inside me, and I knew that a connection had been made between Cloud and me. Though we hesitated for a fraction of a second, the soldier and I shook hands, sealing our deal and making a promise that we would have each other's back from now on.

"Thanks." I said in barely a whisper. Gratitude for everything Cloud had done welled up inside me, and I knew one little word wasn't going to do it justice, but for Cloud, it seemed to be enough.

The soldier nodded, but then his gaze shifted to something behind me. I sensed a serene energy, and turned around to see what he was looking at.

Aerith, the flower girl, was standing by the entrance of the sanctuary. I was kind of surprised to see her again, and wondered why she had come. She looked at Cloud, her smile like calming water, but when she spoke, I had the feeling she was talking to both of us.

"You see? Everything's… all right." She said softly, her voice like honey. Then, with a nod and a gentle wave, the flower girl left the sanctuary, seeming to vanish into the afternoon light.

Cloud gazed around the sanctuary, first at Tifa, Denzel, Marline, and then at me. He looked back to where Aerith had been, and for the first time since I met him, a genuine smile graced his countenance. "I know." He said contentedly, seeming to mimic my thoughts exactly. "I'm not alone… Not anymore."

 **A/N: Isn't that nice? Junior gets cured, and he and Cloud gain a friend and helper in each other! Thanks so much for reading, and please leave your thoughts in a review.**

 **If you like this story, be on the lookout for another one called Breaking My Limits. The first chapter will be in the Final Fantasy/x-overs section hopefully within a few days.**


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